Question about feeding ants

[bokgrasul]

So, I've today with my ATV in the woods and found a big anthill... full of big and juicy ants!
The look perfectly to feed my spiderlings! It will be ok to feed them ants??
Is there any danger?

 

[Talkenlate04]

No dont

I wouldent feed ants to a T.......... ants small as they are, are capable of inflicting damage to your T.

As a rule of thumb I dont feed things to my Ts that can fight back, especially to slings.

Are they carpenter ants? Big black ants? If I am not mistaken I think some ants can even bite and squirt an acid like substance from their abdomens. Its just not worth the risk in my opinion.

 

[bokgrasul]

That's too bad.... :wall:
I don't have anything else except meal worms to feed my slings, and I expect around 70 new slings, around 3-4 molts to arrive!
I was so happy when I found that anthill full with ants.... :8o

 

[Talkenlate04]

You can try ripping the heads off the ants and putting the rest of the body in as food............. try that with on or two and see how that works. But dont put them in with the T alive and kicking.

 

[galeogirl]

Yeah, anything that could fight back and inflict damage should be pre-killed for small slings.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Did you mean 3-4 moults or months? Because if it's months you'll have time enough to start a tartara/lateralis roach colony, if you start now!

 

[mitchell123]

Ants are t's killers

 

[Stylopidae]

Look for a termite mound or dig the anthill up and feed out the larvae.

 

[Talkenlate04]

Oh yes! I forgot how big some ant larvae can be that would be a great source of food........ hmm they dont move to much though, but I bet a T can sinse its alive. I am going to jump on that one there. I have carpenter ants like no tomorrow around my house.

 

[galeogirl]

It's pretty easy to cultivate flour moths and their larvae are tiny and very soft-bodied. I've had great luck using those as feeders for even the tiniest ts.

 

[Talkenlate04]

I HATE flour moths.... I tried that once and they well took over the kitchen dry goods. I guess I dident do to well containing them. I have been using aphids lately and loving my results.

 

[elyanalyous]

its called formic acid that the ants expell. that is if they are westren thach ant.

 

[Talkenlate04]

Sweet thanks for pointing that out. I knew they had something like that stored, they bite then squirt it into the wound, quite the combo dont you think. lol. And I think carpenter ants are one of those that do that. (But could be wrong, im on a roll with being wrong today.)

 

[galeogirl]

I used really fine-mesh window screen to contain the flour moths inside of a critter keeper. Never had any get out. Aphids are good. Parsley seems to attract them like crazy, you can just snip off a sprig and shake them into the containers.

 

[Talkenlate04]

Aphids are good. Parsley seems to attract them like crazy, you can just snip off a sprig and shake them into the containers.

Yes awesome someone else that is using aphids. I thought I was alone. lol.... I like them cause they move, but they cant out run the slings. So they are subdued quickly. Its perfect, Plus they are 100% soft bodied and thats another big plus.

 

[galeogirl]

I used to use aphids all the time when I was breeding frogs.

 

[bokgrasul]

Scuze me for the noob question.....but what is aphids???

 

[Hedorah99]

Scuze me for the noob question.....but what is aphids???

Aphids are small green insects that are found on plants. They drink the juices of the plant and are a common pest in vegetable gardens and on rose plants.