Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Wild bugs to feed ants & how to kick ants out of an acorn


  • Please log in to reply
7 replies to this topic

#1 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted May 27 2020 - 7:40 PM

MinigunL5

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 550 posts
  • Location(Near) Worcester, MA

I recently opened up a random acorn and found a Temnothorax colony. I will get it IDed soon. It has brood and I think the queen is in there to. So I need to feed it protein. The thing is I don't have any. So I have to catch some. I know some bugs are more likely to have pesticides so if anyone has any suggestions, they would help a lot. Btw I have a lot of lady bugs in my house, so would they work?

 

The colony is also in 2 split halves of an acorn. I connected them to a water test tube and put light on them so they would move their brood but they didn't budge. SO in the end I just move their acorns to the water test tube where they then had some honey. Does anyone have any tips on how I can move them out of there? 

 

All replies are appreciated! :D

 

The image is from right after I caught them.

Attached Images

  • IMG_1085.jpg

  • Canadant and OhNoNotAgain like this

#2 Offline OhNoNotAgain - Posted May 27 2020 - 7:56 PM

OhNoNotAgain

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,072 posts
  • LocationCalifornia Argentine Ant Territory

Wow that is pretty cool. For protein I'd just go to a pet shop and get some mealworms, but that's just me....


  • MinigunL5 likes this

Formiculture Journals::

Veromessor pergandei, andrei; Novomessor cockerelli

Camponotus fragilis; also separate journal: Camponotus sansabeanus, vicinus, quercicola

Liometopum occidentale;  Prenolepis imparis; Myrmecocystus mexicanus

Pogonomyrmex subnitidus and previously californicus

Tetramorium sp.

Termites: Zootermopsis angusticollis

 

Isopods: A. gestroi, granulatum, kluugi, maculatum, vulgare; C. murina; P. hoffmannseggi, P. haasi, P. ornatus; V. parvus

Spoods: Phidippus sp.


#3 Offline Ferox_Formicae - Posted May 27 2020 - 8:07 PM

Ferox_Formicae

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,443 posts
  • LocationProsperity, South Carolina

First off, don't use ladybugs, as their hemolymph contains toxins that may harm your ants. Instead, try using bits of crickets or other, common insects such as roaches or beetle larvae, preferably captive breed as they will not contain any pesticides or toxins. A good rule of thumb is that if the insect has bright, flashy colors, it is likely toxic and can therefore harm or even kill your ants. Secondly, the way I tend to extract an ant colony from any sort of nut is to very carefully tap the contents of the nut into a tray or container (I prefer using a large, wide container as opposed to a tall one as it's far easier to work with) coated with a barrier, baby powder should work fine and I never have any issues with using it short term, and with a soaked cotton ball for hydration of the ants, though Temnothorax may not need this as they are very hardy when it comes to humidity, and actually prefer drier settings. After the contents are emptied, you can then begin to carefully deconstruct the nut with hard forceps or a pocket knife. I cannot stress enough how careful you just be during this process, as one slip up could mean the death of many workers, brood items, or even the queen/s. When any extra ants are uncovered, gently tap them into the container and be sure to get any and all brood items, which may need extra coaxing with a paintbrush or some featherweight forceps as brood, especially eggs and larvae, have the tendency to stick to just about anything, either by means of small, grippy hairs or a sticky coating. Once all ants and brood have been emptied into the container, the nut pieces can be discarded and the ants moved into a proper formicarium. Oh and by the way, I'm pretty sure your ants are Temnothorax ambiguus.


  • MinigunL5 likes this

Currently Keeping:

 

Camponotus chromaiodes, Camponotus nearcticus, Stigmatomma pallipesStrumigenys brevisetosaStrumigenys clypeataStrumigenys louisianaeStrumigenys membraniferaStrumigenys reflexaStrumigenys rostrata

 

All Strumigenys Journal

Shop

 

YouTube

Twitter


#4 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted May 27 2020 - 8:11 PM

MinigunL5

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 550 posts
  • Location(Near) Worcester, MA

First off, don't use ladybugs, as their hemolymph contains toxins that may harm your ants. Instead, try using bits of crickets or other, common insects such as roaches or beetle larvae, preferably captive breed as they will not contain any pesticides or toxins. A good rule of thumb is that if the insect has bright, flashy colors, it is likely toxic and can therefore harm or even kill your ants. Secondly, the way I tend to extract an ant colony from any sort of nut is to very carefully tap the contents of the nut into a tray or container (I prefer using a large, wide container as opposed to a tall one as it's far easier to work with) coated with a barrier, baby powder should work fine and I never have any issues with using it short term, and with a soaked cotton ball for hydration of the ants, though Temnothorax may not need this as they are very hardy when it comes to humidity, and actually prefer drier settings. After the contents are emptied, you can then begin to carefully deconstruct the nut with hard forceps or a pocket knife. I cannot stress enough how careful you just be during this process, as one slip up could mean the death of many workers, brood items, or even the queen/s. When any extra ants are uncovered, gently tap them into the container and be sure to get any and all brood items, which may need extra coaxing with a paintbrush or some featherweight forceps as brood, especially eggs and larvae, have the tendency to stick to just about anything, either by means of small, grippy hairs or a sticky coating. Once all ants and brood have been emptied into the container, the nut pieces can be discarded and the ants moved into a proper formicarium. Oh and by the way, I'm pretty sure your ants are Temnothorax ambiguus.

Wow you know a lot about this stuff!
Thx! :D

Sent from my Phone 2 using Tapatalk
  • Ferox_Formicae likes this

#5 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted May 27 2020 - 8:27 PM

MinigunL5

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 550 posts
  • Location(Near) Worcester, MA

First off, don't use ladybugs, as their hemolymph contains toxins that may harm your ants. Instead, try using bits of crickets or other, common insects such as roaches or beetle larvae, preferably captive breed as they will not contain any pesticides or toxins. A good rule of thumb is that if the insect has bright, flashy colors, it is likely toxic and can therefore harm or even kill your ants. Secondly, the way I tend to extract an ant colony from any sort of nut is to very carefully tap the contents of the nut into a tray or container (I prefer using a large, wide container as opposed to a tall one as it's far easier to work with) coated with a barrier, baby powder should work fine and I never have any issues with using it short term, and with a soaked cotton ball for hydration of the ants, though Temnothorax may not need this as they are very hardy when it comes to humidity, and actually prefer drier settings. After the contents are emptied, you can then begin to carefully deconstruct the nut with hard forceps or a pocket knife. I cannot stress enough how careful you just be during this process, as one slip up could mean the death of many workers, brood items, or even the queen/s. When any extra ants are uncovered, gently tap them into the container and be sure to get any and all brood items, which may need extra coaxing with a paintbrush or some featherweight forceps as brood, especially eggs and larvae, have the tendency to stick to just about anything, either by means of small, grippy hairs or a sticky coating. Once all ants and brood have been emptied into the container, the nut pieces can be discarded and the ants moved into a proper formicarium. Oh and by the way, I'm pretty sure your ants are Temnothorax ambiguus.

How long could they go without protein? Also, where could I get feeder bugs quick(and affordable)?

Also I don't have fluon or that baby powder stuff so do you have a recipe or something?

Thx for the help! ;)

Sent from my Phone 2 using Tapatalk

#6 Offline Ferox_Formicae - Posted May 27 2020 - 9:19 PM

Ferox_Formicae

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,443 posts
  • LocationProsperity, South Carolina

 

First off, don't use ladybugs, as their hemolymph contains toxins that may harm your ants. Instead, try using bits of crickets or other, common insects such as roaches or beetle larvae, preferably captive breed as they will not contain any pesticides or toxins. A good rule of thumb is that if the insect has bright, flashy colors, it is likely toxic and can therefore harm or even kill your ants. Secondly, the way I tend to extract an ant colony from any sort of nut is to very carefully tap the contents of the nut into a tray or container (I prefer using a large, wide container as opposed to a tall one as it's far easier to work with) coated with a barrier, baby powder should work fine and I never have any issues with using it short term, and with a soaked cotton ball for hydration of the ants, though Temnothorax may not need this as they are very hardy when it comes to humidity, and actually prefer drier settings. After the contents are emptied, you can then begin to carefully deconstruct the nut with hard forceps or a pocket knife. I cannot stress enough how careful you just be during this process, as one slip up could mean the death of many workers, brood items, or even the queen/s. When any extra ants are uncovered, gently tap them into the container and be sure to get any and all brood items, which may need extra coaxing with a paintbrush or some featherweight forceps as brood, especially eggs and larvae, have the tendency to stick to just about anything, either by means of small, grippy hairs or a sticky coating. Once all ants and brood have been emptied into the container, the nut pieces can be discarded and the ants moved into a proper formicarium. Oh and by the way, I'm pretty sure your ants are Temnothorax ambiguus.

How long could they go without protein? Also, where could I get feeder bugs quick(and affordable)?

Also I don't have fluon or that baby powder stuff so do you have a recipe or something?

Thx for the help! ;)

Sent from my Phone 2 using Tapatalk

 

They can typically go quite a while without feeding. As previously mentioned, Temnothorax are some of the hardiest ants in my opinion, and I've had past colonies I've forgotten about for about a month go on just fine without any feeding, just a colony in a test tube. Anyways, I typically get my feeders just at the pet store for fairly cheap. Watching this video if you want to know what feeders to go for: https://www.youtube....h?v=t7nH3EzY9T4 I currently have dubia roaches, which work pretty well. I would also recommend fruit flies for Temnothorax, as they are known to be quite fierce predators and could certainly tackle a few fruit flies. I've given them live termites without any problems too. As for a barrier, I don't really have a recipe, though it you don't have fluon or baby powder, I hear olive oil works well. Also apparently vaseline, though I don't like to use it, especially for use on smaller ants, as they can usually just climb right over it. So yeah, try virgin olive oil. If that doesn't work, which it should, baby powder is very cheap and you can buy it at just about any grocery store.


Currently Keeping:

 

Camponotus chromaiodes, Camponotus nearcticus, Stigmatomma pallipesStrumigenys brevisetosaStrumigenys clypeataStrumigenys louisianaeStrumigenys membraniferaStrumigenys reflexaStrumigenys rostrata

 

All Strumigenys Journal

Shop

 

YouTube

Twitter


#7 Offline MinigunL5 - Posted May 28 2020 - 3:25 AM

MinigunL5

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 550 posts
  • Location(Near) Worcester, MA

 

 

First off, don't use ladybugs, as their hemolymph contains toxins that may harm your ants. Instead, try using bits of crickets or other, common insects such as roaches or beetle larvae, preferably captive breed as they will not contain any pesticides or toxins. A good rule of thumb is that if the insect has bright, flashy colors, it is likely toxic and can therefore harm or even kill your ants. Secondly, the way I tend to extract an ant colony from any sort of nut is to very carefully tap the contents of the nut into a tray or container (I prefer using a large, wide container as opposed to a tall one as it's far easier to work with) coated with a barrier, baby powder should work fine and I never have any issues with using it short term, and with a soaked cotton ball for hydration of the ants, though Temnothorax may not need this as they are very hardy when it comes to humidity, and actually prefer drier settings. After the contents are emptied, you can then begin to carefully deconstruct the nut with hard forceps or a pocket knife. I cannot stress enough how careful you just be during this process, as one slip up could mean the death of many workers, brood items, or even the queen/s. When any extra ants are uncovered, gently tap them into the container and be sure to get any and all brood items, which may need extra coaxing with a paintbrush or some featherweight forceps as brood, especially eggs and larvae, have the tendency to stick to just about anything, either by means of small, grippy hairs or a sticky coating. Once all ants and brood have been emptied into the container, the nut pieces can be discarded and the ants moved into a proper formicarium. Oh and by the way, I'm pretty sure your ants are Temnothorax ambiguus.

How long could they go without protein? Also, where could I get feeder bugs quick(and affordable)?

Also I don't have fluon or that baby powder stuff so do you have a recipe or something?

Thx for the help! ;)

Sent from my Phone 2 using Tapatalk

 

They can typically go quite a while without feeding. As previously mentioned, Temnothorax are some of the hardiest ants in my opinion, and I've had past colonies I've forgotten about for about a month go on just fine without any feeding, just a colony in a test tube. Anyways, I typically get my feeders just at the pet store for fairly cheap. Watching this video if you want to know what feeders to go for: https://www.youtube....h?v=t7nH3EzY9T4 I currently have dubia roaches, which work pretty well. I would also recommend fruit flies for Temnothorax, as they are known to be quite fierce predators and could certainly tackle a few fruit flies. I've given them live termites without any problems too. As for a barrier, I don't really have a recipe, though it you don't have fluon or baby powder, I hear olive oil works well. Also apparently vaseline, though I don't like to use it, especially for use on smaller ants, as they can usually just climb right over it. So yeah, try virgin olive oil. If that doesn't work, which it should, baby powder is very cheap and you can buy it at just about any grocery store.

 

How do I apply the baby powder?



#8 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 28 2020 - 3:33 AM

ANTdrew

    Advanced Member

  • Moderators
  • PipPipPip
  • 9,418 posts
  • LocationAlexandria, VA
Take time to read this carefully. It will answer most of your questions:

https://www.formicul...rs/#entry144130
  • MinigunL5 likes this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users