Knowing what to Feed Ants for Proper Maintenance

Posted by articlelink01 on January 23rd, 2015

Someone looking to keep ants may first want to know what ants eat. There are a lot of answers for this question. This is because ants are not restricted to just one type of food. For one, the type of ant will determine their feeding habits. This is one thing that an ant keeper will need to know. There are some ants that will thrive on vegetables and maybe fruits. There are ants that will feed on something with more protein. Before deciding on what type of food to give to ants, one should first understand their feeding habits. This means looking for information on what particular types of ants prefer.

Proteins and vegetables

When keeping any type of pet, knowing about what they eat is as important as anything else. Keeping a pet means providing it with food that for it to get the best nourishment. This is the same thing with ants. One cannot assume that they know what an ant eats just from what they think they know. Having all the information is important. This will help a pet owner come up with the right diet for the ants. If it’s plants that the ants eat, then they are going to be provided for them. If the ants prefer dead bugs, then that is what the pet owner should provide.

Farmer ants

There are also some ants that will prefer to grow their own food. The farmer at will grow fungus which it then feeds on. If this is the case, then one has to provide the right environment for the ants to make their own food. Besides the protein and the vegetables, ants also love sugar. Anything that is sweet will appeal to ants. Ants usually get this from nectar. Mixing a little water with sugar would make for a great treat for an ant. Another answer to the question what do ants eat is grains. There are some ants that feed on grains and seeds.

There are also instances where ants eat their own. This happens when there are no other options. When food is scarce, an ant especially the queen, can feed on their brood. They also tend to attack other colonies of ants and feed on them. To avoid this it is important to make sure that ants are well fed and maintained. Ants will also feed on aphids to ensure their survival. They do this by eating the secretions that are given off by aphids.

The threats

The pitcher plant is one of the most dangerous pants for animals and insects alike. The carnivorous nature of this plant makes it a looming threat for insects. The pitcher plant has developed survival mechanisms where it feeds on insects and small animals by trapping them with its nectar. This is one plant that one should be very careful of if they have ants around. With ants having a weak spot for sugar, it makes them a very easy target. With the right kind of food for the ants one can make sure that they don’t fall into the pitcher plant trap.

What Do Ants Eat is something that anyone keeping ants should ask. With the diverse diet that ants have, it helps to know which food would be most suitable. The specific type of ant will determine what kind of food is provided. This will keep the ants happy and energetic. The Pitcher Plant should be one thing that ants should stay away from.