CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How to breed ants?

1. How to raise ants?

Artificial breeding method of ants:

1. Dark Law:

Principle: Using the characteristics of ants that they like to hide and live in dark places, first connect the original nest and the target nest, keep the target nest dark and the original nest bright, and after a certain period of time, they will move to the dark target nest.

Method: First, create conditions suitable for ants to live in the target nest, then connect it to the original nest with a pipe or other means, and then cover the target nest with books or cloth, etc. Then you can disturb the ants in the original nest in a certain way, so that they can find the target nest faster and move away from the original nest faster, of course, you can also not disturb them. They can complete the move in about 1 to 24 hours, and even the eggs will be moved there. The speed of moving is different for different species and under different conditions. After moving, the original nest can be removed in time.

Tips and Notes: This method is the simplest and most convenient, and is also a commonly used method. It is suitable for most ant species, especially small ant colonies with many eggs. This method is the most suitable.

2. Temperature difference method:

Principle: Use extreme temperature conditions to force ants to move. First, connect the original nest with the target nest. The target nest maintains the temperature conditions that the ants like, while the original nest maintains a low or high temperature. After a certain period of time, they will move to the comfortable target nest.

Method: First, create conditions suitable for ants to live in (temperature, humidity, etc.) for the target nest, and then make the original nest cold (using ice cubes or putting it in the refrigerator, etc.) or hot (using hot water bottles, etc.). By creating these temperature conditions that they don't like, they will move to the target nest with suitable temperature conditions within a certain period of time. After moving, the original nest can be dismantled in time. You're done.

Tips and Notes - This method makes it easy for the ants to move all the eggs, and is applicable to all ants regardless of the size of the colony. It also makes it easy for them to move all the eggs, but the operation is a bit cumbersome.

3. Drying method:

Principle: Use extreme humidity conditions to force ants to move. First, connect the original nest and the target nest. The target nest maintains the humidity conditions that the ants like, while the original nest remains dry and no water is added. After a certain period of time, the ants will move to the target nest.

Method: First create conditions suitable for ants to live in (temperature, humidity, etc.) for the target nest, and then let the original nest dry out naturally without adding water, or take certain measures to accelerate drying. When the ants can't stand the dryness, they will move to a more comfortable new home.

Tips and Notes: This method is suitable for those who are not in a hurry to move the ants. The main disadvantage is that it takes a long time. However, it is applicable to most ants and is easy to operate.

4. Freezing method:

Principle: Through low-humidity freezing measures, the ants are temporarily inactivated and then transferred manually.

Method: First create conditions suitable for ants to live in (temperature, humidity, etc.) for the target nest, open it and prepare it, then put the original nest in the refrigerator and freeze it for a few minutes. The temperature should not be too low, at a few degrees they will basically stop moving. Then quickly open the ant nest, transfer the frozen ants to the target nest, pick them up with tweezers or grab them directly with your hands. If there are eggs, use a brush to move them over. Then cover the target nest and let the dormant ants slowly wake up.

Tips and Notes - This method is suitable for ants with small colonies and relatively large sizes. The operation is a bit troublesome, and it will be even more inconvenient if there are many eggs.

You can prepare a plastic bottle for the ants, then put some soil in the plastic bottle, then catch the ants and put them in, and give them some food they like. However, those ants cannot be kept for long. If you want to keep them for a longer time, you need to catch a queen ant and put it in.

Ants need a queen first

1 After 0 to 10 workers can be raised in water-blocking test tube nests

For larger colonies, you can use a plaster nest.

Remember not to use Ant Workshop

You can feed them mealworms, sugar water, and cherry cockroaches.

For detailed methods, please see Baidu Post Bar Ant Bar

2. How to raise ants?

1. Living habits

Ants can grow normally within 15-40℃, but the best temperature is between 25-30℃. In winter, they will go into caves when the temperature is below 10℃, but they will not hibernate. They just stop moving frequently and eat the food stored in autumn in the caves. The soil moisture for ants should be controlled between 10% and 20%; the relative humidity of the air should be controlled between 70% and 90%.

2. Behavioral characteristics

Ants, like other insects, rely on antennae to identify smells. The first segment of the antennae is swollen, knee-like and very flexible. Since they have a pair of antennae, they can identify not only the intensity of the smell, but also the direction and distance of the smell's source. Adults exchange food for feeding each other, and through their smells, they learn about each other's health and nutritional status, as well as the food that the other has found.

At the same time, they can also distinguish which group the other party belongs to, such as those responsible for digging holes and building nests, or those responsible for collecting food, etc. Generally speaking, older worker ants will be sent out of the nest to work.

Additional information:

Ant Growth:

It takes about 15 days from egg to adult (some large ants need more than 20 days), through two stages of larvae and pupae. The eggs are white or light yellow, elongated, 0.5 mm in size, and shaped like rice grains.

The young ants are milky white, with thinner front ends and often curved, and are easily mistaken for "ant eggs". The pupa is the last instar, and the young ants are shortened, do not eat, and do not move. They are called pre-pupa, and the pre-pupa molts into a pupa. The pupa is milky white at first, and then gradually turns into yellow-brown. They are often piled together and are also mistaken for "ant eggs".

Ants are holometabolous insects, and they must go through the stages of egg, larva, pupa (or cocoon, depending on the species) before they develop into adults. Ant larvae have no abilities and do not need to forage for food. They are completely fed by worker ants, who eat the food first and then spit it out to feed the larvae. Adults also exchange food in this way.

The development of larvae requires a certain suitable temperature, so worker ants often move them around to maintain a suitable development location. Ants are generally divided into worker ants, male ants and female ants according to different tasks. What type of ant the larvae develop into depends entirely on the feeding conditions in the larval stage.

3. What should you pay attention to when raising ants?

Ants are social insects. Only large yellow ants are found for medicinal purposes, including a few species such as the yellow S ant and the black polyrhachis ant. Only the black polyrhachis ant has been successfully bred artificially, because this ant has strong adaptability, short cycle, fast reproduction, and is not affected by geographical conditions. It can be bred in high-density box-type three-dimensional culture. Compared with the rockery and tank breeding methods, it has many advantages such as saving expenses, reducing costs, and occupying a small area.

1. Site selection:

It should be determined according to the size of the breeding population. Whether indoors or outdoors, there must be sufficient light, no clutter, and no bad odors.

2. Breeding facilities:

Use bricks (or plastic film) around the site. Build a 25 cm wide and 5 cm deep water tank. The inner edge of the water tank should maintain a certain inclination to effectively prevent the seed ants from falling into the water. When building the water tank, leave a drainage hole that is convenient for changing water. Build a frame 20-25 cm away from the inner edge of the water tank. The materials can be bamboo poles or wooden sticks, arranged side by side in a track shape. The first shelf is more than 30 cm above the ground, and the distance between the shelves is more than 35 cm. Place 10-15 cm thick humus sand at the bottom of the shelf.

3. Making and arranging feeding boxes: Homemade feeding boxes for insects are usually paper boxes that have been used to store food and clothing, and are generally 35-40 cm long, 20-25 cm wide, and 10-15 cm high. Place the Masson pine, which is the favorite nest for ants, in the box, followed by leguminous plant straw such as red beans, soybeans, and broad beans. Wild plants include small-leaf camphor, large-leaf camphor, and old grass. All need to be dried to prevent mildew. The tightness of the straw should be appropriate, neither too tight nor too loose. This is very important. Ants do not differentiate and build nests on straw that is about to mold or has already molded. Put the straw together with the seed ants that have been divided into nests into the box, seal it with adhesive tape on all sides, and drill a small hole at one end of the box. The arrangement interval of the ant boxes should not be less than 60 cm. If the interval is too close, it will easily cause ants to fight with each other.

4. Feeding and Management

Ants have a wide variety of food, and they like to eat anything sweet and animal. They can be divided into two categories: A. Animal bait: such as meat residues and thick blood of cattle, sheep, fish, pigs, chickens, etc. Various insects are also good food for ants, such as beetles, maggots, silkworm pupae, earthworms, etc. B. Food with sweet taste, such as brown and white sugar, watermelon, honey, pear cores, apple cores, etc.

Ants eat very little, about 0.1 mg per day, and 100,000 ants need about 100 grams of food per day (different species have different specific values ​​depending on their size). Generally, they are fed once every 3-5 days. When feeding, a food bowl and a sponge block for absorbing water should be placed on the top of the breeding box. To prevent the food from spoiling, the food should basically be eaten up every time, and it should be fed and cleaned frequently. When feeding, try to feed as little as possible and point as many as possible to avoid fighting for food. In addition, the types of food should be changed frequently to avoid ants from losing their appetite. If they are raised outdoors, in the hot summer, in order to avoid high temperatures in the ant box, some vines should be planted around the box frame to block the strong sunlight. The most suitable temperature for the growth and reproduction of ants is 22℃-37℃, the air humidity must be controlled at about 81%, and the soil humidity should be kept at 10-15%. If the air is too dry, a sprayer can be used to spray the ant box and the ground frequently to maintain the normal activities and reproduction of ants.