Daily Food Diary, LCA HQ

What you feed, where you get it from, basically we will build up a comrehensive list of suitable plants to feed Leaf Cutters. Also in temperate countries, what do you feed them in the Winter?
Occultus
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Daily Food Diary, LCA HQ

Post by Occultus » Mon Apr 30, 2018 10:18 pm

I'm going to start posting a daily food diary for the different leaves fed to the ants at the LCA HQ.

30.04.18

Acer pseudoplatanus - Sycamore / Maple.
Collected young fresh Sycamore leaves today. Had a great feeding response from both the Atta and Acromyrmex. Even the small Acro colonies (who can be a little fussier) were enthusiastically cutting up the fresh leaves. Definitely worth trying!

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Re: Daily Food Diary, LCA HQ

Post by Jackie62 » Tue May 01, 2018 3:50 pm

I was going to try sycamore leaves! I'll get some tomorrow. Thanks for the diary, it's very useful.

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Re: Daily Food Diary, LCA HQ

Post by Andyj » Tue May 01, 2018 10:18 pm

My Acros are cutting it as we speak, tends to go a bit limp though. I suspect that once the new leaves harden they will ignore them like so many other leaves ive tried.

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Re: Daily Food Diary, LCA HQ

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Tue May 01, 2018 10:22 pm

Thats a good observation, Andy. Che has just posted a paper about palatability of leaves based on age. Its a recurring problem. One that never never fails though is Chestnut leaves. Last year I found the ants went nuts for them, regardless of size and age.

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Re: Daily Food Diary, LCA HQ

Post by Andyj » Tue May 01, 2018 10:36 pm

Sweet or Horse Chestnut ? The big disappointment for me so far this year was that mine for the first time were accepting Dandelion. Leaves, stalks, buds and flowers. An easy to get source but after three weeks just won't touch it. So frustrating.

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Re: Daily Food Diary, LCA HQ

Post by Occultus » Tue May 01, 2018 11:11 pm

Jackie62 wrote:I was going to try sycamore leaves! I'll get some tomorrow. Thanks for the diary, it's very useful.
No worries Jackie. It is great when we all bounce feeding ideas from each other. We can never have enough food :)

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Re: Daily Food Diary, LCA HQ

Post by Occultus » Tue May 01, 2018 11:13 pm

Andyj wrote:Sweet or Horse Chestnut ? The big disappointment for me so far this year was that mine for the first time were accepting Dandelion. Leaves, stalks, buds and flowers. An easy to get source but after three weeks just won't touch it. So frustrating.
I'm trying my best not to overdo feeding Dandelion and Dock leaf. It's just so convenient. Hopefully they'll regain their taste for it after a short break Andy.

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Re: Daily Food Diary, LCA HQ

Post by Occultus » Tue May 01, 2018 11:23 pm

01.05.18

Crataegus monogyna - Hawthorne
Another very convenient and widespread food source. Plenty of new leaves out so was able to easily offer very generous amounts of Hawthorne. Couldn't have had a better feeding response. Both the Acros and Atta taking a keen interest. The leaves require very little effort for the ants to cut so another good option for young colonies. I do hope they stay this interested as the leaves start to mature in the summer.

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Re: Daily Food Diary, LCA HQ

Post by Jackie62 » Wed May 02, 2018 10:45 am

Andyj wrote:My Acros are cutting it as we speak, tends to go a bit limp though. I suspect that once the new leaves harden they will ignore them like so many other leaves ive tried.
Interesting Andy, our Atta won't cut the softer bramble leaves, but love the harder, older leaves! I have put in some newish sycamore today, they are having a look at it now.....seems they are still in love with wild rose and privet at the moment, followed by blackthorn leaves...I'm going to gather some hawthorn tomorrow...

Binomial names:

Dog rose (Rosa canina) - leaves and flowers
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) - leaves and flowers
Garden Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) - more evergreen than wild privet (Ligustrum vulgare) - leaves and will try the flowers

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Re: Daily Food Diary, LCA HQ

Post by Jackie62 » Wed May 02, 2018 10:46 am

And will give hawthorn a go too!!

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