ANTSTORE World of Ants

[KiamCameron]

@ Jimmy why do you say give them seeds at 10 workers or so as I mean what are they going to eat before you give them seeds as they cannot eat insects can they ?

[ashhad1]

they can eat insects but i think the point is that at 10 workers+ the demand for 'ant bread' is needed so thats when u give them seeds, plus before they wont really do much with the seeds but i may be incorrect lol

[SteveUK28]

ur not ashhad ur right.. they do eat insects.. at least mine do... and you only give them seeds after they have a few workers cos just a couple are not strong enough to chew the seeds into bread..

[JimmyVe]

Yes they do eat insects, as a mater a fact they need them. Also when the colony is bigger you must keep feeding them insects.

When the colony is smaller than 10 workers, they just collect the seeds but don't make ant bread from it because the first workers have there hands full of taking care of the queens and brood. Also the don't have such strong jaws as the next generation.

[KiamCameron]

So the workers of this species eats insects?

[JimmyVe]

Yes they do. They need them ! (i'm surprised you didn't knew that Kiam)

[KiamCameron]

I thought they were like lasius niger as the lasius niger workers cannot eat insects and digest them right?

[ashhad1]

all ants need protein and protein comes from insects (thats what ants know)
they just 'eat' the 'insect juices' which contain protein and other nutrients.
So they all still need insects whether they can or cant digest them.

[miszt]

Protien goes to the Brood and Queen mostly, but yes they can digest them 'partially' and then give them to the brood and queen, some species just chop the insect up and give it to the larvae to eat