ANTSTORE World of Ants

[badman]

Ok my herculaneus tank is looking bad, I shone a torch on it today and there are many small fly insects crawling round on the surface, they look like they have silvery coloured wings/shell but didnt seem to fly at all, their bodies are long and thin only a mm or two long.

This tank is kept very moist and has a loam/humus mixture.

i've been a little worried about this colony as they had 8 workers before digging themselves in and I've only seen a single worker outside on a few occasions so far this year.

edited for better description. I had another look they are long, thin and shiny, the wings could be shells or just their bodies. They seem to have gone into hiding, because when i checked earlier I saw many, now I only saw one

[miszt]

dont worry to much, its normal to only see a few workers of this species out and about at one time, I have 8 workers, and only ever see 1 worker out of the nest, except occasionally I see 2 if i have just put an insect in the tank

[badman]

any idea whats causing these bugs and if they affect the ants? Is it possibly too wet? or maybe I left some food in there too long?

[miszt]

I have small flies in some of my tanks aswell, its normal that your tank would attract other insects, not a major issue, chances are they are breeding in the tank, and the larva are feeding on any rotting vegitation

[badman]

hmm ok, panic over. thanks, i'll keep an eye on them

[Ehx-ray]

Maybe you could catch few small spiders ( let's say three times smaller than your ants - for the savety of ants) and let them live in tank. Ants won't be bothered and spiders should temper the growth of flies population.

You can try:)

[SteveUK28]

id just leave the flies as they are.. gives ya ants somat to hunt

[JimmyVe]

Could you take pictures from the bugs ?

I don't think they are going to harm your ants, probably they will end up being eaten by your ants.

[badman]

I could try, but my camera isnt very good

edit: yeah way too blurry, also, they seem to have vanished. Don't know where they're hiding

[badman]

Today I found 2 live fruitflies, which could not fly in the tank.

This clearly means that somehow the flightless fruitflies I've been feeding the ants have somehow hatched in the tank, there is no way they could have entered from outside.. Strange since I put in only adult corpses which I killed with boiling water!

The tiny silver things must have been their infant stage. Hopefully this is why the ants are not taking any of the food I give them.

[tail__]

Fruit fly larva is legless worm, look here:
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The most common "very small, long bugs" in formicariums are springtails. Whatever do you have, it is harmless, and ants sometimes can hunt it, so be happy. Almost any kind of small bugs, except of SOME mites, are welcome, they add to diversity of local mini ecosystem.

[JimmyVe]

Yep, it isn't going to hurt your ants, it can be a nice exercise for you ants.

[badman]

Yeah i know flies larval stage is a maggot, do they emerge from pupae fully grown? If they do then I must have 3 different things living in there. Oh well. Also they looked nothing like springtails.

[ant dude]

lmfao i think this is the1 infestation u do want to hav

i had fruit flies livin in1 of my tanks b4, its really g00d havin them tho...