Frozen feeder insects
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- Posts: 81
- Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2016 4:56 pm
- Location: Braintree
Frozen feeder insects
Has anyone got any advice regarding frozen insects for Lasius Niger?
I'm looking to start a colony in the spring and I'm researching now about their care.
Ideally I would keep a stock of live feeder insects but realistically that's not going to happen, perhaps when the colony grows larger it might be worthwhile.
In their beginning stages however, I would prefer to have a stock of frozen insects that I can thaw out and feed to them.
Any tips would be appreciated.
I'm looking to start a colony in the spring and I'm researching now about their care.
Ideally I would keep a stock of live feeder insects but realistically that's not going to happen, perhaps when the colony grows larger it might be worthwhile.
In their beginning stages however, I would prefer to have a stock of frozen insects that I can thaw out and feed to them.
Any tips would be appreciated.
Keeper of:
2 x Lasius niger colonies (1 founding)
1 x Myrmica rubra colony
1 x Lasius flavus (fouding)
2 x Lasius niger colonies (1 founding)
1 x Myrmica rubra colony
1 x Lasius flavus (fouding)
Re: Frozen feeder insects
Buy wingless fruit flies from the local pet shop or the internet (they're not wingless but have curly wings and can still jump around so cool them down before you take the lid off) and some superworms or small crickets. Spiders work, too.
You can boil them (dip into boiling water for 5-10 seconds to remove pests and parasites) and freeze them.
You should crush larger insects (supermworms, crickets) because your colony will have trouble ripping them apart.
A young colony will only need little food (and almost only honey when they have to larvae) so don't buy too much stuff.
And don't feed live insects to young colonies, they often lack the power to kill them. The risk that ants get injured or killed is too high.
You can boil them (dip into boiling water for 5-10 seconds to remove pests and parasites) and freeze them.
You should crush larger insects (supermworms, crickets) because your colony will have trouble ripping them apart.
A young colony will only need little food (and almost only honey when they have to larvae) so don't buy too much stuff.
And don't feed live insects to young colonies, they often lack the power to kill them. The risk that ants get injured or killed is too high.
"We should respect all forms of consciousness. The body is just a vessel, a mere hull."
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- Posts: 81
- Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2016 4:56 pm
- Location: Braintree
Re: Frozen feeder insects
Hi, just an update, my second (and larger) L. niger colony quite happily accepted a dead cricket out of the freezer, they've dragged it back into the nest. Happy days.
Keeper of:
2 x Lasius niger colonies (1 founding)
1 x Myrmica rubra colony
1 x Lasius flavus (fouding)
2 x Lasius niger colonies (1 founding)
1 x Myrmica rubra colony
1 x Lasius flavus (fouding)
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- Posts: 479
- Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
- Location: Idaho, USA
Re: Frozen feeder insects
Yep! My tetramorium colonie's main protein is frozen crickets!
Proverbs 6:6-11
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
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- Posts: 81
- Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2016 4:56 pm
- Location: Braintree
Re: Frozen feeder insects
I'm just glad I don't have to try and keep live insects, the colony is only about 30-35 workers right now, wouldn't be viable to keep live insects for the amount of food that they'll actually need.
Keeper of:
2 x Lasius niger colonies (1 founding)
1 x Myrmica rubra colony
1 x Lasius flavus (fouding)
2 x Lasius niger colonies (1 founding)
1 x Myrmica rubra colony
1 x Lasius flavus (fouding)
Re: Frozen feeder insects
Good to hear that they have accepted the frozen food, I just switched from mealworms to crickets (both live tho) and they seem to like it a lot more because it's more soft I guess so I can advise you to continue getting crickets and other soft skin insects for them
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- Posts: 157
- Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2016 12:57 pm
- Location: Abilene Tx
Re: Frozen feeder insects
My crematigaster colony started out on both pre-killed and frozen crickets and mealworms. I would cut a jumping leg off and then freeze the rest of the cricket and cut what I needed off as I fed. After her 1st hibernation I bought a little cricket holder, and put 12 small crickets in it with a carrot and\or potato for them to eat. Then I could feed small ones and as they grew I would freeze them. Good luck. Just remember u don't have to buy 100s of food at once.
Re: Frozen feeder insects
My Camponotus barbaricus love frozen wild spiders.
"We should respect all forms of consciousness. The body is just a vessel, a mere hull."
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- Posts: 157
- Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2016 12:57 pm
- Location: Abilene Tx
Re: Frozen feeder insects
I never thaught to give them frozen spiders lol I may try this, my only concern is that they may carry insecticides.
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