10 replies to this topic

[Works4TheGood]

I'm pretty new to this hobby and I wanted to double-check if these setups looked OK?  

 

In the first pic, I have a colony of about 10 in a test tube with sand on the bottom of the container.  On the tinfoil I have some moistened dry-dog-food and a Frosted Flake with a dab of honey on it.  Also, there is another test-tube setup which they can move into if they wish.  

 

The second pic is a very similar setup, but for a test tube setup containing 3 nanitics.  

 

The temperature in this basement is 66 F, which I assume matches the surrounding ground temperature.

 

Has anyone else had success with moistened dry-dog-food and/or cereal with honey?  I presume that if I had laid these things in the grass in August, there'd be ants all over them.

 

Finally, what is the optimal hibernation temperature?

 

Thanks in advance for reading this!

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[Huch]

That looks good to me. I think the optimal temperature is probably the outside temperature. I have hibernated Camponotus pennsylvanicus. and Novaeboracensis in a fridge for 6 months, but they never really woke up. 

[Crystals]

You could try to offer sugar water or hummingbird nectar as an alternative to honey.

Depending on the species, some will ignore dog food.  You can try to offer a piece of insect.  I usually offer a cut up piece of mealworm, cricket, or spider.

[Works4TheGood]

So I presume that some species won't take honey, but they will accept the nectar and/or sugar water? How is that supplied to the ants? Through a test tube with cotton at the end?

[klawfran3]

There are waterers that you can make specifically for giving ants liquid foods. They run off of either capillary action or they have a little "vaccum" that prevents the water from escaping, similar to the cotton in test tube method. There are a few tutorials on this forum that tell you how to make one or you can go out and buy one from Amazon or another website. Byformica supposedly makes really good ones that are on amazon.

[Crystals]

There is a tutorial here on how to make one type of waterer: http://www.formicult...of-handy-links/

 

Drew is testing a second type here: http://www.formicult...mois#entry28444

 

You can also make a test tube setup, using sugar water instead of plain water.

[Works4TheGood]

I'll have to look into the waterers & feeders.  Thanks for the great advice!

 

I briefly tried using the test tube setup with sugar water, but I found that the cotton near the entrance started turning pink within a matter of days.  Caught by surprise, I got rid of the test tubes and went back to using dabs of honey.  Any thoughts on that?

[Crystals]

Pink could be bacteria.  Easy enough to wash the test tube, rinse well, and let dry.  I cheat and often use the dishwasher..  You can refill it later, or keep refilling/replacing the sugar water.

 

Think about it, would you want to drink from a glass of juice that had been sitting a room temperature for several days? 

[dspdrew]

Pink could be bacteria.  Easy enough to wash the test tube, rinse well, and let dry.  I cheat and often use the dishwasher..  You can refill it later, or keep refilling/replacing the sugar water.

 

Think about it, would you want to drink from a glass of juice that had been sitting a room temperature for several days? 

 

If I was an ant I might.

[Crystals]

 

Pink could be bacteria.  Easy enough to wash the test tube, rinse well, and let dry.  I cheat and often use the dishwasher..  You can refill it later, or keep refilling/replacing the sugar water.

 

Think about it, would you want to drink from a glass of juice that had been sitting a room temperature for several days? 

 

If I was an ant I might.

 

True.  When I go on vacation my ants are happy with it all week long. 

[Trailandstreet]

Sometimes Ithink they prefer drinks, that were offered for a few days than fresh ones. Maybe it's the alcohol, that ferments there