ANTSTORE World of Ants

[plewi]

Any one tried keeping aphids with there lasisus niger colony, for the ants to farm and milk, we have roses in our garden and they always get covered in aphids so there will be no problems getting some. Any tips on how to do this would be good and if its worth trying!

Anyone tried freezing flies to save for another day? I thought I would give this a go as I caught a large fly alive in a container and thought it would keep it perfectly without squashing it and once thawed I guess it will still be fresh and juicy! I haven't fed them it yet but I will do and see what they make of it. It looks as if I am doing some kind of cryogenic experiment in my freezer! I will be surprised if it flies off when I thaw it!

Here is my diary

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Any comments in general about how I am doing with my first colony will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Paul.

[FLechdrop]

I am growing ivy plants for the purpose of keeping aphids. These are hardy plants that can be kept inside plus they attract aphids, making them a suitable plant in my eyes. Already a few aphids have taken residence on the ivy that is, for now, still growing roots in a bottle of water on the window-sill. I am planning to pot the plant and then place it into a 50x30 glass basin which will serve as the foraging arena for the ants.

[JimmyVe]

i give aphids to my ants (Myrmica rubra, Lasius flavus and Pheidole pallidula) they just eat them.
I'm have caught a Lasius niger queen who is laying eggs. Maybe they milk them.

i freeze most of the insects I'm giving to my ants. so for no problems with it.

[plewi]

Hi FLechdrop, do you think I have enough room in my 'Glass basin 30x20x20 cm with farm area' for any live plants for the aphids to live on (pictures on my diary)? Perhaps when my colony is bigger I will get another basin for feeding and have some soil for plants to grow in. Im still interested to hear from anyone who has tried keeping aphids some pictures would be good.

[plewi]

Hi JimmyVe, do you de-frost your insects before you give them to your ants, I put the frozen fly in this morning, the ants have been all over it all day but don't seem to be making much progress with it, I think perhaps the fly was a bit to big for them but I will leave them to it until tomorrow if they havent got anywhere with it I will take it out and try some smaller flies.

Paul.

[JimmyVe]

yes i let them de-frost first. Maybe you can try to cut them in two, its easy'er for them to start eating from it.

[FLechdrop]

Hi FLechdrop, do you think I have enough room in my 'Glass basin 30x20x20 cm with farm area' for any live plants for the aphids to live on (pictures on my diary)? Perhaps when my colony is bigger I will get another basin for feeding and have some soil for plants to grow in. Im still interested to hear from anyone who has tried keeping aphids some pictures would be good.

Maybe if you find a small plant that attracts aphids.
But perhaps it is better to wait for the colony to grow and get another basin, as you said.

[Psychosimian]

Aphids generally appear in Summer so you'll probably have to wait a while anyway. I think maybe if you place a few leaves with them on in the tank you will see if the ants react or not, and then you'll know if its worth finding a tiny aphid attracting plant to put in there!

[JimmyVe]

All my species take them, if they don't use them to 'milk' they eat them

[maxfly]

Actually I have one small young lasius niger colony, and one modest black aphid colony on a fat grass in feed arena... I dont think that my colony find and growth it because exactly too much young , anyway I caught some aphid in arena and put it in the dish near the nest, and seems to appreciated by lasius, these until when the colony does not become large enough to find and growth.
Beside..of this..
Best plants to growth aphid is fat grass, small roses, and dwaries "fagioli".
In this period aphids are be found in nature on the thistles, just cut a branchy and place near a plant where we want that the aphids go(in this case a plant in vase in the feed arena), when the branchy will exaust the aphids goes on new plant.

Im not certanly this metod works everytime but I hope this help....

--
Max