5 replies to this topic

[AsdinAnts]

So, My dad’s backyard has so many insects that I could use for feeding my ants. I would like to know how long pesticides stay and if my ants are able to eat the insects after a year and a half, maybe two not sure.

[Ernteameise]

Depending completely on the insecticide used.

Read the label, contact the producer.

There are pesticides working short term which are broken down in a few weeks.

Other pesticides, like DDT are here to stay. In the food chain. For decades.

[ANTdrew]

Are you certain that pesticides were used in the yard?

[rptraut]

Hello AsdinAnts;

Although it’s possible for most pesticides to cause harm, the pesticides you should be most concerned about are insecticides. They are the pesticides that kill insects. If you’re sure that no insecticide has been applied in the last two years that’s a pretty good first step, but I would look to the biological activity in the yard for your answer. You say there are lots of feeder insects in the yard. Are there also lots of ants? If there are, the chances of there being any insecticides there is pretty slim. I would feel safe feeding those insects to my ants, but that decision is on you, as to whether to feed them to your ants or not. You will have to feel confident enough to feed those insects to your ants, risking that they may be killed by them.

I have some colonies that I consider expendable. Someone once asked me why I have so many colonies of the same kind of ants. Well, this is one of the reasons why. I feed suspect insects to only one or two colonies before I’ll feed them to the rest. Call them Guinea pig colonies if you like, but I would rather risk one or two colonies than all of them. You’ll have to decide if you feel comfortable feeding lawn insects to your ants - and be willing to live with the consequences. If in doubt, feed them something you know is safe. All my ants love chicken.
RPT

[AsdinAnts]

Hello AsdinAnts;

Although it’s possible for most pesticides to cause harm, the pesticides you should be most concerned about are insecticides. They are the pesticides that kill insects. If you’re sure that no insecticide has been applied in the last two years that’s a pretty good first step, but I would look to the biological activity in the yard for your answer. You say there are lots of feeder insects in the yard. Are there also lots of ants? If there are, the chances of there being any insecticides there is pretty slim. I would feel safe feeding those insects to my ants, but that decision is on you, as to whether to feed them to your ants or not. You will have to feel confident enough to feed those insects to your ants, risking that they may be killed by them.

I have some colonies that I consider expendable. Someone once asked me why I have so many colonies of the same kind of ants. Well, this is one of the reasons why. I feed suspect insects to only one or two colonies before I’ll feed them to the rest. Call them Guinea pig colonies if you like, but I would rather risk one or two colonies than all of them. You’ll have to decide if you feel comfortable feeding lawn insects to your ants - and be willing to live with the consequences. If in doubt, feed them something you know is safe. All my ants love chicken.
RPT

Thank you for the long response RPT, I’m not entirely sure that it was insecticide, seeing as their are ants in my backyard but mainly argentine and brachymyrmex patagonicus. (both invasive in my country) I feed my A. Occidentalis colony a baby earwig from my backyard, so only time will tell it its safe or not.

Edited by AsdinAnts, January 17 2024 - 7:55 AM.

[rptraut]

Hello again;

Thanks for responding. Insecticides will kill an invasive ant just as quickly as a domestic ant. If those Argentine ants are invasive and resistant to pesticides, then you’re really in trouble. Just kidding. Seriously, I would relax. I think you’re okay to feed insects from that lawn if there are thriving ant colonies living there. But remember, the final decision is yours and you must be willing to accept the consequences. Feeding questionable insects to a small number of ants and evaluating the impact, before feeding them to a larger number of ants, is a wise practice.

Thanks for taking the time to read my posts. I know they’re long because I think about them a lot and they take a long time to write. I appreciate you taking the time to read them. Believe me, I take time to make sure every word is saying what I mean it to say so that each text is as informative as it can be. If any of it helps you or anyone else, then it’s all worthwhile.
RPT