ANTSTORE World of Ants

[dwstern]

Hi everyone,

Some great information on this forum. I'm expecting delivery of my first ant (lasius niger) queen and a few workers (~15) today, and I will be keeping them in a glass ant farm sourced from antsuk [...]* Edit Antstore Two questions:

1. What's the best way to take care of our ant colony when we go on holiday? From what I have read so far, the main thing they must have is enough water. Most of the posts or articles I've read seem to suggest that if they are well-fed and healthy to begin with, and I leave them a little food as normal before we go away, they should be okay without more food for a couple of weeks, but we really *must* ensure they have enough water. Will a test-tube (what size?) with water and a cotton wool bung be enough to last them two weeks in a normal house, assuming normal indoor temperatures and humidity? Should I look for some sort of fancy device to provide more water (without drowning them) while we are away?

2. We can feed our ants with honey mixed with water, and I have bought some protein jelly pots too, and can get more of both in local shops easily. But it seems like it would be a better idea to give them insects (boiled for a short time to kill parasites/mould, and then cut in half lengthways?) to eat whenever we can, and give them the protein jelly only when we have no insects. Is that right? What insects around the house or in a garden do you find most practical to feed your ants - and do you think other ant keepers do the same? We only have crickets in our garden very occasionally, so I can't rely on those, and we don't catch a lot of houseflies. We have plenty of bees in our garden, but I would never harm them! Or do you prefer to buy insects from a pet shop or online? If I buy something like a Can 'o Crickets (Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar), is it sensible to keep it in the freezer? Would they like to eat dried mealworms, perhaps if I soak them for a couple of hours first?

I'm trying to be a good carer - any other tips for a first-timer would be welcome!

Many thanks in anticipation!

David

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