7 replies to this topic

[jready]

My small Tetramorium colony is not eating the Dubia nymph I put into their outworld. I noticed a worker dragging it around in the outworld but not bringing it into the nest. Can anyone explain this?

[KBant]

They don’t wanna eat it? Try cutting it up first so the juices are more enticing. Or try a small cricket, again cut it up.

[noebl1]

How mature is the colony?  I find the younger Tetramorium colonies don't seem to like the larger foods sometimes, but will readily take fruit flies, and sometimes even cut up table scraps of meat.

[jready]

Thanks for the info, I will try to feed them something smaller.

[WilliamAber]

I sometimes will give my tetramorium ants a little bit of honey mixed in with their meat as it gives the meat more of an appeal as it is sweet like honey.

[sgheaton]

(info from last year)
Mine would absolutely swarm crickets and would bury anything else. Chicken from my pizza also was a favorite. The fish food moves off the "plate," but I haven't seen food actually inside the formicarium in ...while I'd say ever, I think I saw some in the long long ago time? 

 

Fish food, cat food, honey, whatever candy item I might be munching on, heck, whatever I'm eating I put in there just because. I've seen ants at work be all over bread, but no way am I sharing my already crappy gluten free bread with them. ..as I say that I'm pretty sure I threw away two "ends" yesterday. Damnit me. 

[CoolColJ]

My ants are the same, I think small and young colonies just don't have the need for much food

[MegaMyrmex]

For small tetramorium and aphaenogaster colonies with 1-5 workers, I find that feeding them maybe a segment of a mealworm is good enough. Small ants may feel stressed out about large food items, but really if a colony is acting pretty stubborn about eating, I give them a termite or fruit fly. I've literally never had a colony refuse a termite(well, maybe except for strumigenys since they're specialist predators on termites) or fruit fly. Both are small, high in nutrients, and very easy to feed the ants, instead of having to crush and chop them, you can just freeze or refrigerate them.