11 replies to this topic

[PDuncan67]

I want to take the Mrs on a 2-3 week vacation.  Our dog is coming with us, but I am worried about my ants.

I figure I can load up my outworlds with lots of extra water feeders and/or test tubes.
And I thought I could add some large cubes of sugar, etc. to the outworlds.

 

But protein - do they sell a (long term) protein feeding solution?  

What do you do when you are away for extended periods of time?

[Izzy]

I've had this same question and I'm curious to see what others think. I was lucky enough when I took a trip last year to be able to put them into hibernation early since it was November 1st, but these are a few solutions I thought about as potential options that may be helpful:

 

I wonder if some kind of protein jelly might be a good solution, but I have no experience with this. I'm not sure if it goes bad after X amount of time.

 

Another option I considered with mine was if I had someone who could feed them (maybe you don't) I could provide some little ham cubes or human food that would less nasty than chopped up insects for the average person who doesn't keep ants and might be able to come and drop some food in their outworld once or twice while you're gone.

 

I also had the thought that they might not actually need protein to survive for 2-3 weeks as long as they have water and carbs. They may resort to feeding on their own eggs, which isn't ideal and would set back colony growth a bit, but you could at least take your trip and they would be ok.

 

If they will accept seeds or nuts of some kind you could potentially give them a big pile of that. I don't suspect they'd accept all of it, but it may hold them over. I've noticed some of my colonies that aren't typically classified as seed harvesters will still accept dandelion and chia seeds.

 

Hopefully these help, and hopefully someone with even better ideas comments.

Edited by Izzy, April 3 2024 - 7:07 PM.

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

It also depends how long you are out, protein jelly sugar and carbs is the best way in my opinion for long periods. Or you could find someone willing to feed your colonies every few days while you are gone.

[Mushu]

For dry protein foods your ants take, an automatic fish feeder may work. My other buddy was feeding some that looked like broken ramen noodles to Myrmecocystus navajo with krill as one of the ingredients. I can’t recall or find the specific food he used at the moment. I’ve noticed that perhaps many ants may take dry food with krill/shrimp as one of the ingredients.

My buddy also poked a hole in a bottle cap with a fruit fly culture and hot glued a tubing. Perhaps if you fluon the tubing and time the culture right you would get live fruit flies going out into the outworld in the 2-3 week period.

I would think a good invention would be a mini auto feeder that can flash freeze live insect's on a scheduled timer and drop them in the outworld. Say Dubia roaches, which can survive for some time without food or a small piece of carrot(which can dry up in outworld and doesn’t really rot).. There could perhaps be a water feeder.

[PDuncan67]

I wasn't aware of protein jellies - can anyone reccomend whre to get some (I'm in the US)

thanks again for the ideas!

[GOCAMPONOTUS]

I go to Petco of petsmart.

[Ernteameise]

Well, it really depends on the species you are keeping.

Since I also like to go on holidays and have to travel abroad for work, I decided to get some ants that have some easy care.

The most important bit is to supply plenty of water. That is the major issue. In lab experiments, ants could go for weeks (and even months) without food, but they will die of thirst in just a few days.

One important thing, you should have fed your ants plenty of food in the weeks before you go, so they have ample reserves to fall back on.

Without fresh protein, the queen might lay less eggs, but if your colony is going strong and you have fed them plenty before, this might not cause too much disruption. After all- in nature, there are droughts. Ants face periods of starvation all the time. They have adapted to it, especially desert and savanna living species.

Some examples of the colonies I keep-

Harvester ants: They are easy, you just supply them with seeds, and they will store these seeds and can live of them while you are away. The queen might lay fewer eggs, since she also needs protein food, but in a healthy colony, this will not cause a major dent.

Acorn ants: In lab experiments, these ants survived starvation periods of up to 6 months. During that time, they were eating their brood, however. I think if you supplied them with some solid sugar (not honey or sugar water that can go off) and water, they should be fine. They also eat bird dropping in the wild, so they might also accept dried fish food, which can be stored.

Carpenter ants: They can also survive a couple of weeks of starvation, mainly because they fill up their majors with so much food, that these become nearly repletes. I will not worry about my Camponotus at all, they are FAT.

To a lesser degree, this is also true for my Lasius colony. But when I leave, I will make sure to supply them with some solid sugar, maybe some dry fish food and plenty of water. I will do some experiments concerning the fish food I have lying around here (I also keep betta fish). They might like some of it.

[Ernteameise]

As for protein jellies-

I have been giving these to my ants as a treat.

It is not their favorite, they do not swarm it, but they lick it.

These jellies will dry out after a few days / one week, so not sure how much use they will be after that period.

[Locness]

What species do you keep?

[rptraut]

Hello PDuncan67;

 

We just got back from two weeks in Mexico.   I left my ants in winter storage a little longer than usual while I was away.   I've also put them into winter storage early to get away late in the fall.   I've used a couple of different methods to feed my ants while we're on vacation during the summer.    When I had to be away for three weeks in a row, I had my father-in-law feed my ants part way through that time.   I had food in small containers in the freezer, numbered for each colony.    All he had to do was open the top or feeding port and put the food in.    He had no problem at all.   I only had him feed the larger colonies, the smaller ones were fine with the original amount of food that I gave them.

 

I use mostly chicken and turkey thigh bones and dry fish pellets (I have a betta too) for my ants' vacation food.   I feed these things through the season to my ants, so they're used to them, and I know they'll eat them.    Given an appropriately sized piece of bone for the size of the colony, most of them will spend at least 3 or 4 days cleaning off the bone and the marrow from inside.   Some of them will spend another couple of days further scraping every scrap from the bone.   Give your colonies a piece before you go away and see how long it takes them.   

 

For larger colonies or colonies with large ants, I use a larger turkey thigh bone, cut in half through the shank.   I use pruning shears (secateurs) to cut them.   Depending on the size of the colony I'll give them one or both halves.   Ideally you want to give them just enough so they can clean it at a rate that keeps ahead of any mold.    Ants seem to be good at this.   Smaller colonies get chicken bones, cut in half, or very small colonies get a 1/4 to 1/2 inch (3/4 to 1 1/2 cm) section of the shank or just the knuckle end of the bone.    I find small colonies also like neck vertebrae from a cooked chicken.   Leave some meat on the bones, but don't overdo it.   I usually figure this will keep them busy for the first week.   

 

Before you go, be aware of how much protein your colonies are using on a daily basis.    Their need for protein will vary depending on the stage of the brood.    You should be able to estimate if they will need more or less while you're away.    Ants that lay eggs in batches make this easier to do.    A colony with a large number of eggs won't require much protein until they hatch, some can take up to three weeks.   Likewise, in a colony with a large number of pupae, or one with a large number of larvae that will be pupating while you're away, less protein might be required.   Colonies with various stages of brood will probably require a consistent amount while you're away.  

 

To feed my ants for the second week of my vacation, I also give my colonies a small amount of dry betta pellets.    They often ignore these pellets when they have something more desirable, like chicken.    When that runs out mine work on the betta pellets.    I've seen my Camponotus ants collect them in the nest, which tends to be dry, and use them without any mold problems.   I'm going to experiment with freeze dried chicken or liver pieces, dry dog food, or something similar for long-term feeding.      I think they might work too.   Last year I used freeze-dried brine shrimp which came in cubes (similar to sugar cubes) at the pet store.   Not all of my ants liked it, and I left them way too much.   This excess food became a place where trash mites thrived, which caused problems when I returned.   For my Tetramorium colonies, I give them a peanut(s) or cashew nut(s) to gnaw away on for the second week.   

 

Leave each colony an adequate amount of drinking water.   I use a test tube, or tubes, stopped with cotton for their long-term water.     Put it in before you go away, so they'll get used to using it.   Running out of water has been the only reason why I've lost ants while away on vacation.   I use a similar setup for their sugar/water.   

 

Just a couple of other things to check on before you go away.    Your ants will have all the time you are away to test barriers and plot escape.    Reapply or refresh any oil or talc barriers, and check all screens, connections, seams and tubes, to make sure there is no way a determined colony can chew their way out.    I often give mine a fresh piece of moss in the outworld.   This gives them something to dig in, hide in, play in, and generally keep busy doing something other than plan escape.    

 

It's already been mentioned that many of our ant colonies are in very good (fat) condition.    I'm sure that if you feed them well before you go and leave them some short-term and long-term food in whatever form, that your ants will be alive when you return.     Just don't let them run out of water and keep them contained.    Good luck and happy holidays!

RPT

 

 

One of the reconstructed Mayan temples at Chichen Itza, in the Yucatan peninsula.    Hot as hell, dry as a bone, and not a single ant to be seen in the entire place.   

 

 

 

  

[futurebird]

"Carpenter ants: They can also survive a couple of weeks of starvation, mainly because they fill up their majors with so much food, that these become nearly repletes. I will not worry about my Camponotus at all, they are FAT."

 

So terribly fat. Fat fat fat little ants. My carpenters are so chubby they could probably last a month provided they have water. 

 

When I travel in the warm months I feed the ants more on the weeks before to get them loaded up. Then I focus on their water supply. I leave a full water feeder and a test tube with water in each outworld so they have options. As long as they have water they are pretty unstoppable. But if I want to keep their brood growth going I've used dry cat food. It depends on the species. This is why it's good to test a variety of foods so you have more shelf stable options for longer periods. 

 

The worst thing about leaving them for a week is they make a mess. 

 

Also check your nests and outworlds for escape issues with extra care.

[PDuncan67]

What species do you keep?

Camponotus floridanus and Lassius neoniger

and thank you everyone for the advice!

Edited by PDuncan67, April 5 2024 - 11:17 AM.