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What can semi-claustral queens eat?

Started By Devi , Sep 18 2020 9:10 AM

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9 replies to this topic

#1 Offline Devi - Posted September 18 2020 - 9:10 AM

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I have a pogonomyrmex queen that I have had soooo much trouble with.  She eats all her brood, she hasn't laid any eggs in two months, I could go on and on.  You can read more about her in her journal if you want.  Anyway, this morning I was refilling her water tower, and I accidentally put in to much water and it overflowed.  Now her nest is at 700% humidity, so I hope that's OK.  I also put in some gross cricket guts in her outworld in hopes she will eat it and like it.  I have lots of dandelion seeds in there, but she doesn't show much interest in them.  She doesn't seem to have issues with going up the tube, which is unusual for pogonomrymex, so that's good.  Will she eat any protein? (cricket guts) Or should I feed her something else?  And if food isn't the issue, what can I do to improve her current state?  

 

 

Here's a picture of cricket guts.  :)  Yum!!

20200918_110324 (1).jpg


#2 Offline TechAnt - Posted September 18 2020 - 9:44 AM

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Fruit flies are a great source of protein for ants, you should try that.


  • Ants_Dakota likes this
My Ants:
(x1) Campontous semitstaceus ~20 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Camponotus vicinus ~10 workers, 1 Queen (all black variety)
(x1) Tetramorium immigrans ~100 workers, 1 Queen
(x1) Myrmercocystus mexicanus -1 Queen
(x2) Mymercocystus mimcus -1 Queen
(x1) Mymercocystus testaceus ~45 workers, 1 Queen

#3 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 18 2020 - 9:55 AM

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Fruit flies are a great source of protein for ants, you should try that.

These are like the best for small colonies.


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My South Dakotan Shop Here

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

#4 Offline Devi - Posted September 18 2020 - 10:13 AM

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Fruit flies are a great source of protein for ants, you should try that.

These are like the best for small colonies.

 

We don't have fruit flies here, can you buy them somewhere?


#5 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 18 2020 - 10:14 AM

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I get them at Petsmart.


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My South Dakotan Shop Here

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

#6 Offline TestSubjectOne - Posted September 18 2020 - 10:36 AM

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My picky Camponotus sansabeanus love to eat ant brood. I steal brood from the argentine ants outside my house and they gobble it down. Maybe Pogonomyrmex are the same?


TestSubjectOne's Experiences in Antkeeping General Journal

 

Currently Keeping:

- Veromessor pergandei (1 queen, 600 workers)

- Novomessor cockerelli (1 queen, 200 workers)

- Myrmecocystus mexicanus (1 queen, 100 workers)

- Brachymyrmex patagonicus (3 queens?, 2,000 workers? & alates)

- Crematogaster sp. (1 queen, 600 workers)

- Liometopum occidentale (1 queen, 800 workers)

- Camponotus absqualator (1 queen, 130 workers)

#7 Offline Devi - Posted September 18 2020 - 10:56 AM

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My picky Camponotus sansabeanus love to eat ant brood. I steal brood from the argentine ants outside my house and they gobble it down. Maybe Pogonomyrmex are the same?

Hmm, I have a large solenopsis molesta colony in my backyard, I may try that.  Thanks for the ideas!


#8 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted September 18 2020 - 11:03 AM

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My picky Camponotus sansabeanus love to eat ant brood. I steal brood from the argentine ants outside my house and they gobble it down. Maybe Pogonomyrmex are the same?

Hmm, I have a large solenopsis molesta colony in my backyard, I may try that.  Thanks for the ideas!

 

Their brood would be tiny, but if you had enough of it, it might work. Not all colonies eat it though. I have had myrmica refuse brood from other colonies.


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My South Dakotan Shop Here

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

#9 Offline BlueLance213 - Posted September 18 2020 - 12:31 PM

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If you don't have fruit flies you will most likely have some other equivelant of small fly that appears near rotting plant matter, but for my semi claustral manica rubida she will gladly accept anything small that she can take into her tube, and any sort of insect i give her that is too large she will behead and delimb and take those in. 

 

I find that giving them a protein which is already rotting like the guts just creates more mess and if she doesnt spot it quick enough she seems to just ignore it altogether.


#10 Offline Antkid12 - Posted September 18 2020 - 1:08 PM

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You could try a termite. All my ants love them.


Ants I have: Tapinoma sessile(2 queen colony). RED MORPH Camponotus neacticus(now has pupae!), Tetramorium immigrans (x3), Aphaenogaster sp, Temnothorax sp, Brachymyrmex sp.   possibly infertile   :(,  Ponera pennsylvanica, and Pheidole morrisi!  :yahoo: 

 

Other insects: Polistes sp. Queen

                    

Ants I need: Pheidole sp., Trachymyrmex sp., Crematogaster cerasi , Dorymyrmex sp. Most wanted: Pheidole morrisii

 

                    

                   

 

 

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