16 replies to this topic

[CatsnAnts]

Okay, so where I live aphids are a rarity to come across, and knowing that ants love them, I look for them all of the time. I recently found my first aphids by accident (yesterday). There were two adult aphids eating some crabgrass. I quickly got an animal cracker container (any container would work fine), put some dirt in it, and planted a single stalk of crabgrass in it. I then carefully moved the two aphids onto a leaf of the new plant. For the lid, I just cut a bunch of little slits for air holes, and then screwed it on top. Later that day, I found a few more of the same aphids nearby. When I was done finding aphids, I had 5 adults (two were winged) and 10 smaller aphids. I added them all to the animal cracker container (aphid farm). I checked this morning, and there were around 20 aphids, so it worked! The aphids are reproducing! Any thoughts on how I might get my ants to heard them for their honeydew, and will my ants eat them if I pre-kill them. Will this be a reliable food source? Thanks!

Edited by CatsnAnts, July 27 2018 - 12:38 PM.

[DaveJay]

I have no idea if it's feasible or sustainable but it sounds like a good idea if you can get it to work properly. I'm guessing ants may eat an aphid as they might any insect but having the ants farm and milk them is a whole different thing.

One thing in your favour regarding this experiment is that your ants are currently outside which will make it easier to grow a host plant.
I'm a qualified horticulturist and I think you will have trouble growing any plant successfully in a jar, you'll need more ventilation and a properly aerated growing medium.
A very big jar with a fully ventilated top and enough room to set up a type of false bottom to allow the soil to drain properly may work. An aquarium might be a good choice, cracked aquariums are often thrown out, if you're lucky you'll probably get one for free.
People keep terrariums of course, and it would be great to have one complete with aphids as an out-world for ants that farm them but the problem is that only certain plants thrive in a terrarium and they might not be suitable for aphids to live on. We also don't know how well the aphids themselves will do in a terrarium, what are their requirements regarding humidity and other parameters? We know ants are not as easy to please as you'd think!

Having said all that, GO FOR IT!
I applaud your creativity and curiosity! Experiment with different methods and materials and then tell us what works, if no one tries then no one really knows so don't let anyone tell you something can't be done!

The first thing I would look into is "How to set up a terrarium", that will help you get the substrate set up properly.
I'm not sure how much information you'll find on what plants various aphid species can feed and breed on, you may just have to observe and experiment yourself.

I wish you luck with this experiment, I'm sure you can work something out.

[CatsnAnts]

Wow! Thanks! I will definitely take your advice and update on if it works or not!

[CatsnAnts]

Well! I am happy to say it is working! I took DaveJay’s advice and created a false bottom. I currently have the plant in a glass container with a removable lid that I am going to leave off (I know, I’m the picture it’s on). I am going to test how the plant and aphids do with the lid on for longer periods of time as well. I will keep updating as the trial goes on. Oh! And one more thing! My aphid colony was at 20 last time, and now it has grown to 49! I’m going to be thrilled if this works! (I plan on splitting up the aphid colony once my ant colonies reach past the founding stage) here’s some pics:


This is the top of one leaf (one of the winged aphids is on the top of this leaf, but is not shown):

Here is the back of that same leaf:



P.S. The plant is crabgrass, which is what I found all of these aphids on originally when I first collected them.

Edited by CatsnAnts, July 28 2018 - 10:00 AM.

[DaveJay]

Excellent! You're definitely well on the way, your aphids are certainly having a population explosion!
I can't say I've seen aphids on grass here, usually it's roses that get the most. I do have a colony of ants that farm them on my potted lemon tree but none on the mandarin tree next to it. Another colony farm scale on a potted orange tree I've been trying to revive, I only bought it because the pot was worth the $20 price and I thought I could save the tree.
As far as I got thinking about aphids for "pet" ants was having a vase type situation where aphid infested sprigs could be cut and placed in an outworld for the ants to farm. If fresh sprigs were added as others wilted the ants might move the aphids to the "new growth" like they do on living plants. You've already taken things one step further!

[CatsnAnts]

As far as I got thinking about aphids for "pet" ants was having a vase type situation where aphid infested sprigs could be cut and placed in an outworld for the ants to farm. If fresh sprigs were added as others wilted the ants might move the aphids to the "new growth" like they do on living plants. You've already taken things one step further!

That’s an option of what I had in mind! Once the aphids reproduced enough, I would cut off a single leaf with aphids on it and place it in one of my colonies outworlds, then I would replace that leaf with a fresh one when it started to wither away. Eventually, I’m probably going to just have a small plant of crabgrass in each of my ants outworlds that I can just directly place aphids on without having to worry about supplying fresh leaves. Also, I have since put the lid on and am going to leave it on for a whole day to see how they do.

[CoolColJ]

Well the humidity will skyrocket with the lid on, as I see not much ventilation

Edited by CoolColJ, July 29 2018 - 4:35 AM.

[CatsnAnts]

I checked on them this morning, and they are still reproducing! So it seems like if I leave the lid on for short periods of time, they can handle it (I do remove the lid every few hours, so it does get some ventilation). I just wonder how they would do if I left it on for longer periods of time? I guess my biggest concern is escape, and wild things eating them.

[CoolColJ]

you need a mesh lid

[CatsnAnts]

you need a mesh lid

Ohhhhhhh! That’s what I need!

[AnthonyP163]

http://influentialpo...phid_genera.htm

 

Something to help with identifying if you can see them well enough.

[CatsnAnts]

http://influentialpo...phid_genera.htm

Something to help with identifying if you can see them well enough.

Wow! I actually figured out that they are in the genus Melanaphis thanks to you!

Edited by CatsnAnts, July 29 2018 - 12:12 PM.

[CatsnAnts]

I have now successfully put a material that is similar to wire mesh over the top that allows ventilation without escape! Also, the population is now at around 72, it’s getting harder to count.

[CatsnAnts]

Aphid population = BOOM, they are now at over 100, I can’t even bother to count anymore...

[CatsnAnts]

For some reason, like 30 of the young aphids just died? There was a small white bug hanging around them and was latching onto them. I kept getting it off, but I’d always find it back on the aphids. Is this the parasitic wasp people talk about?

[CatsnAnts]

It seems the deaths have stopped for now. I realized that all of the aphids that we’re dead we’re on the top side of the leaf, so maybe it got too hot? Although, I keep them in the shade. Anyways, I found five more aphids and introduced them, then I noticed all of the aphids starting to spread to different parts of the plant. As of right now, everything looks good and stable!

[AnthonyP163]

Many aphids that parasitize grass will lay their eggs on certain trees for hibernation. You may want to use the genus ID to figure out what their "primary host" is (The plant that the eggs are laid on and will be the first spring generations food)

 

However, I don't know if they need to hibernate in captivity.

Edited by AnthonyP163, August 19 2018 - 6:16 PM.