9 replies to this topic

[Temperateants]

Hi, 

I'm running low on feeder insects, and I unfortunately am unable to get any. What are some generally clean arthropods? There are cellar spiders in my house that I'm considering feeding to my ants. I know that there is a risk of mites, so I have to put the spider in boiling water. Is there a risk that the spiders ate insects from the outside and has toxins in their hemolymphs?

[TennesseeAnts]

Hi, 

I'm running low on feeder insects, and I unfortunately am unable to get any. What are some generally clean arthropods? There are cellar spiders in my house that I'm considering feeding to my ants. I know that there is a risk of mites, so I have to put the spider in boiling water. Is there a risk that the spiders ate insects from the outside and has toxins in their hemolymphs?

I go out and find large beetles like Bess Beetles for my larger colonies, any native roaches for medium colonies and native Darkling Beetle larvae for my small/founding colonies.

[justanotheramy]

My ants won't eat purchased insects, so I'm fortunate my garden offers a good variety.
I've been here 20 years and don't use poisons.

I find mealworms and earwigs under decaying logs, and both are quite acceptable to my ants if I behead and gut them first.
They also like flies.

[ANTdrew]

My colonies love spiders I find in my house. I think they’re relatively safe if nothing is sprayed in your home. Don’t collect ANYTHING if you live in an apartment.
Other good insects to gather are grubs of all kinds, earwigs, terrestrial beetles, crickets, and termites. I think it’s more a question of where you gather as opposed to what you gather.

[Temperateants]

My colonies love spiders I find in my house. I think they’re relatively safe if nothing is sprayed in your home. Don’t collect ANYTHING if you live in an apartment.
Other good insects to gather are grubs of all kinds, earwigs, terrestrial beetles, crickets, and termites. I think it’s more a question of where you gather as opposed to what you gather.

Isn't it possible that spiders have contaminated hemolymph if they eat an insect which has contact with a toxin?

[ANTdrew]

It is possible, but I’ve fed tons of spiders to all my colonies without issue. You need to consider what’s going on around you. If there are a lot of pristine gardens with perfect lawns, you can be sure people are spraying toxins. Home gardeners use three times the chemicals that farmers do. I’m lucky enough (depending on how you look at it) to live in a relatively ghetto area where most yards are neglected and weedy. Benign neglect is wildlife’s best friend in an urban area.

[Canadant]

The house flies gather on decks and wooden porches this time of year. They're slow and sometimes freeze. You'll find them alive on the ground. If they're still they're probably not dead.

Flies are a big hit with all my ant species.

[Temperateants]

Well yards around mine look pretty clean and green, how far can pesticides go?

The spiders are in my basement, not sure if that would help.

there's a pretty beefy house spider in my mom's upstairs pot plants.

[ponerinecat]

those will all work. all of my feeders come from outside.

[AntsDakota]

The house flies gather on decks and wooden porches this time of year. They're slow and sometimes freeze.

Slow? Are we talking about the same fly? I’ve even developed my skills and reflexes into a martial art of sorts. Even then, I have a hard time catching them.......... unless you catch them with a net. I swat them by hand.