Ant care
The three most important factors to consider when keeping ants are Environment, Food and Water. We will focus on our most commonly available ants which are the Black Garden Ant (Lasius niger), the Yellow Meadow Ant (Lasius flavus) and the Red Ant (Myrmica rubra). All of these ants are found in the United kingdom
Environment
The Environment in which you keep your ants is very important to their survival. It is worth remembering that many of the ants we offer normally live wild in the UK. This means they can survive in conditions from below zero up to 30 degrees. When keeping ants you should try and replicate the natural conditions they live in. This means providing them with suitable amounts of food and water as well as ensuring the conditions are similar to outdoors.
Host plant and food
When it comes to food ants need protein and sugars.The best foods for harvester ants are small pieces of fresh fruits and vegetables. Celery, Apple, Lettuce, work real well because they are not real "mushy" and sticky. Don't overfeed the ants. In the wild ants get their protein from eating other insects but in captivity live insects are difficult to find so it is possible to use protein jelly mixtures and tinned insects. Protein is important if you want your colony to grow as the protein is used by the queen to produce eggs and to feed and rear the ant larvae up to adult ants. The sugars in the wild come from aphids and tree sap. Our sugar honey solutions are blended specifically for ants and are a perfect source of the sugars they need. Sugars are the main food eaten by ants for energy. Some ant species have specific foods needs such as Harvester ants which collect seeds for food.After two days if the food has not been completely eaten remove it. This will keep mold from growing in the habitat that could harm your ants. Another good thing to feed ants is sugar water
Water and moisture
Ants need water just like all other living creatures. They primarily get their water from the soil in which they live, so it is crucial that the soil remains moist. The easiest way to identify if your ant nest is damp enough is to add a few small droplets of water to the surface of the nest with a pipette.To give better care to your ants give them a few drops of water every day. Don't make their sand so wet that water pools up on top and they drown in it, but do give them a few drops every day. If the soil becomes darker then the nest is too dry and if there is no change then the water content is just right.
So how do you add water to the nest without damaging the nest or drowning the ants? The key is to add water to an area of the habitat where there are no or few chambers below. Water should be added very slowly and gradually using a pipette. Add a few drops, let it soak in, then add a few more. It can take some time for the water to distribute throughout the entire habitat so after a short period of adding water it is best to leave the nest overnight before adding more. Misting the nest surface with a spray bottle or atomiser regularly also helps to keep the nest damp.
Water gel crystals are a very good way of providing additional water for your ants. You can provide these in a small feeding dish on the surface or mix them into the soil when setting up a new habitat to help with moisture retention. To give your ants an extra boost of energy and a real treat they will love, mix a pinch of sugar in a teaspoon of water and give it to the ants once a week.
So how do you add water to the nest without damaging the nest or drowning the ants? The key is to add water to an area of the habitat where there are no or few chambers below. Water should be added very slowly and gradually using a pipette. Add a few drops, let it soak in, then add a few more. It can take some time for the water to distribute throughout the entire habitat so after a short period of adding water it is best to leave the nest overnight before adding more. Misting the nest surface with a spray bottle or atomiser regularly also helps to keep the nest damp.
Water gel crystals are a very good way of providing additional water for your ants. You can provide these in a small feeding dish on the surface or mix them into the soil when setting up a new habitat to help with moisture retention. To give your ants an extra boost of energy and a real treat they will love, mix a pinch of sugar in a teaspoon of water and give it to the ants once a week.