What do ants eat?

Have you ever wondered what ants eat (both those kept in artificial nests and those in the wild)? Let’s face it – few people think about the diet of insects, especially such small ones. However, those who are planning to start or already keep ants at home should ask themselves this question at the very beginning of their adventure with these insects. And where can you find the answer? On our blog, of course!

What do farmed ants feed on?

Keeping ants at home is a unique hobby and a lot of fun, but it also involves responsibility for the proper care of the colony, including providing adequate food for insects kept in artificial conditions.

From a purely theoretical point of view, ants will eat anything. But do you want to harm your colony by feeding the insects poor-quality food that is inadequate for their needs? Your colony can grow to magnificent sizes if you provide it with the right conditions and access to the nutrients that ants need. What they need are sugars (i.e. carbohydrates) and protein. Below are examples of the best foods containing these ingredients.

Ants adore honey

The best type of carbohydrate for ants is honey. It is a delicacy that provides them with a large boost of energy for their daily hard work. As in the case of humans, the health benefits of honey are also very important – feeding it regularly, also in the form of bee pollen, will ensure a high level of immunity for the insects in the formicarium. You can diversify the diet of your charges by giving them different varieties of the product (acacia honey, honeydew honey, and so on).

Honey can be given on its own, although we recommend mixing it with water (ants need to drink, so this way you will provide them with both food and hydration). Interestingly, however, some species do not like honey – we do not recommend giving it to, for example, Messor barbarus ants. Also, remember not to replace honey with sugar, which has no nutritional value.

You can also use the ready-made ant nectars available in our shop, made from natural ingredients, including honey.

A source of protein in the ant diet – feed insects

Let us now move on to the second essential component of your home ant farm diet, namely protein. A great source of protein are feed insects, which are also fed to other animals, such as reptiles kept in terrariums. The most common species of such insects include cockroaches, mealworms and woodworms (beetle larvae), crickets and even fruit flies. All of them are suitable for feeding farmed ants. Importantly, we recommend feeding them dead – introducing a live specimen could harm the colony, for example by causing excessive stress (both to the food insect and the ants) and significantly increasing the time required to “deal” with the prey. In addition, there is a risk that an insect fed alive could cause mechanical damage to the nest, which would force the breeding ants to work hard to repair it.

However, insects do not have to be the only source of protein in home ant farming. Ants can also thrive on raw meat and even dead mice. (here we must mention the ants Carebara diversa, which, in the case of a mature colony, will easily deal with such small vertebrates!).

Egg yolk can also be a tasty treat for ants. Contrary to its name, it contains a lot of easily digestible protein.

Vegetarian “treats” for ants – seeds and fruit

Some species of ants (harvester ants), as their name suggests, prefer a more plant-based diet. They specialise in collecting seeds, which are then stored in the nest and processed into ‘ant bread’, which later becomes the main food source for the entire anthill.

Ants can also be fed fruit. Fruit is an excellent source of nutritious carbohydrates and can add variety to your colony’s diet.

Feeding your home-bred ants – important tips

The feeding plan for ants bred at home is not particularly complicated, as you can see. Nor is feeding them. The size of the portions depends on the size of the nest itself. Small colonies will be satisfied with a drop of water with honey and slightly crushed mealworms or cricket legs. The larger the colony, the larger the meals should be. Remember that the way ants feed will depend not only on the species, but also on individual characteristics. You may find that you come across exceptionally “voracious” insects, which will quickly expand your stock, or more modest ants, which will be satisfied with smaller amounts of food.

The best advice? Keep a close eye on your formicarium and check what the insects like, feed them a variety of proteins and regularly remove food scraps. This will prevent the growth of mould, which is a huge threat to ants. If you notice that the insects are covering food or honey water with sand, reduce the portions – they are probably too large for the ants.

How often should you feed ants? In this matter, a lot will depend on your observations. You can adopt the rule of feeding ants more often, but in smaller portions (then the chance that they will eat everything “at once” is greater). As a standard, you can establish a rhythm of one to two meals per week.

How to feed ants in a test tube?

Beginning breeders often find it difficult to feed ants in a test tube, i.e. the “seeds” of a future colony.

At the very beginning, when the number of ants that have found their way into your home is still too small for them to properly colonise the formicarium, you need to keep them in a small but safe test tube – and feed them there too. The portions of food must be very small, and it is also important to ensure its quality – what matters now is protein, thanks to which the queen will start laying eggs and begin the full life cycle of ants. Put the food inside using a narrow strip of aluminium foil or a drinking straw cut lengthwise.

The test tube must also have two chambers. The first, separated by cotton wool, is for water and allows the ants to hydrate, while the second (closer to the opening of the test tube) is where they will temporarily feed. This is the chamber where the food portions should be placed.

Where can you get food for ants in a home colony?

When deciding to keep ants at home, make sure you know what a particular species eats (basic information can be found in each insect description in our shop). Many products can be purchased both online and in pet shops (mainly dried feed insects).

You can also safely feed them food from your own home. Honey (natural, not artificial) and raw meat can be found in most refrigerators. However, if you are looking for a high-quality, safe seed mix for Messor barbarus, use our recipe and order food from MrówSon!

What do ants eat in nature?

Wild ants are natural cleaners of the environment. Operating in truly large colonies, they must ensure that huge amounts of food are delivered to the nest, which is why most of what they encounter on their way can become their next meal.

So, what do forest or garden ants eat? Insects will eagerly eat available fruit, but they will not turn their noses up at plant pollen either. Do ants eat leaves? Some species, although this is not necessarily the rule, may feed on such food.

And what about protein consumption in ants in their natural environment? Do ants eat aphids? Or ticks? As for the former, it is worth noting a certain relationship – ants are natural defenders of aphids (protecting them from ladybirds and other enemies) because they feed on their secretions (honeydew). In nature, they will therefore, to a certain extent, nurture aphids so that they provide them with sweet food.

What about ticks? Here, ants deserve a big round of applause. They are gourmets when it comes to these parasites. What is more, ticks are so afraid of even the smell of formic acid that they flee as far away from anthills as possible.

Summary

Ants kept at home must be fed regular portions of protein and carbohydrates. They should therefore be given feed insects, honey with water, and in some cases seeds, which form the basis of the diet of harvester ants.

It is also necessary to keep the formicarium clean and feed the ants regularly. If you have any further questions, feel free to write to us, we will be happy to help!