ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Antlord]

I would like to start breeding insects as food for my colonies
because lately I find it hard to provide enough food.
So I'm asking you guys what you think in your experience are the easiest insects to breed
with of course a minimum of smell, noise and stuff like that.
Thanks for your help!

[JimmyVe]

Cockroaches.
Red runner's are difficult but if you go for Dubia's it is not a big problem and they are much bigger than Red runners. So you have more food. If only my girlfriend would let me breed them myself, i just buy them on the net from private breeders.

[gabranth]

i breed fruit flies there easy

[Antlord]

@ JimmyVe: Thanks for the tip
but I think my parents probably won't allow me to keep cockroaches.
Is there something from antstore you can recommend, since there is no shop near to where I live.

@ gabranth: I thought of that but I was wondering if it will be enough food because they are really tiny.

[gabranth]

they are small thats why ive got crickets as well and there the only insect my yellow meadow ants eat

[JimmyVe]

you can go for Crickets to. Or buy some Cockroaches from private keepers. They are not that expensive and are really good for your ants. If they arrive i without delay kill them and put them in the freezer. I defrost them when i need to. That way i never have (for long) living cockroaches or other insects in my house (except for my ants of course. ))

[Antlord]

@ gabranth: Thanks, good to know that because I have just caught a Lasius flavus queen.

@ JimmyVe: Thanks for the advice , I think I will go with fruit flies and crickets and see how that works.
I can always start breeding cockroaches if my food supply runs out,
must be allot of food when you look at the size of it.

[miszt]

Crickets can be hard to breed at first, although once you have some practice its fairly easy, but keeping them clean and healthy takes some work

[JimmyVe]

Yep, a lot of food, but when your colonies are big you need lot of food.

[SirJet]

I've ordered a box of medium brown crickets from ebay, less than £5 inclueding P&P

Any tips on how to keep them alive longer? I assume they need a source of food and water.

The wofe has gone absoloutly mad though, lol. She just about acceted the ants but the crickets are too creepy for her. Maybe I ought to kill them and freeze...

[gabranth]

ok you probably got them from the same guy i did when they arrive put them in another container don't tip them in though as you want to keep the egg container and dirt in the container they came in as i found LOADS of mites in my container

[miszt]

ok you probably got them from the same guy i did when they arrive put them in another container don't tip them in though as you want to keep the egg container and dirt in the container they came in as i found LOADS of mites in my container

i'd demand a refund!

[gabranth]

heh you get what you paid for

[Ant mad]

ok you probably got them from the same guy i did when they arrive put them in another container don't tip them in though as you want to keep the egg container and dirt in the container they came in as i found LOADS of mites in my container

did they come in bran if so i'v had that alot
cooking and frezing don't seem to do much.
a blow torch does tho

[gabranth]

heh nope they didn't come in bran