Britishants food recommendations.

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?
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Britishants food recommendations.

Post by Britishants.com » Thu Dec 03, 2015 1:27 pm

We're constantly trialling out various plant materials, our top three are;
Privet Ligustrum
Savoy cabbage
Roses petals/leaves

Below are some time lapse videos, the white stuff you see them taking is orange pith! They adore it!

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Re: Britishants food recommendations.

Post by Atta solider » Thu Dec 03, 2015 2:18 pm

Nice mate try cooked sweet corn when they take it to the nest as they put it into the fungus as well you see yellow bits in it

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Re: Britishants food recommendations.

Post by Britishants.com » Sat Jan 02, 2016 8:07 pm

Mine(atta) have been going mad for Aucuba Japonica variegate (spotted laurel) they don't seem to get bored and despite offering up other stuff they go mad for it each night!

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Re: Britishants food recommendations.

Post by Deansie26 » Sat Jan 02, 2016 8:59 pm

Great post Sean, the time lapse videos wouldn't work for me but that may just be my problem.
I'll need to see what that food is! :)

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Re: Britishants food recommendations.

Post by Britishants.com » Sat Jan 02, 2016 9:58 pm

on the picture above it's the leaf on the bottom left of the plate! :)

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Re: Britishants food recommendations.

Post by Deansie26 » Sun Jan 03, 2016 8:36 am

Britishants.com wrote:on the picture above it's the leaf on the bottom left of the plate! :)
The green and yellow one, I tried that with my first Acromyrmex colony but they didn't like it, I'll be picking some up tonight on the way home to try again. Do you have Acromyrmex as well as Atta mate and are you finding they take it?

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Re: Britishants food recommendations.

Post by Leafcutter » Sun Jan 03, 2016 2:17 pm

deansie26 wrote:
Britishants.com wrote:on the picture above it's the leaf on the bottom left of the plate! :)
The green and yellow one, I tried that with my first Acromyrmex colony but they didn't like it, I'll be picking some up tonight on the way home to try again. Do you have Acromyrmex as well as Atta mate and are you finding they take it?
Will have to get some of the variegated leaves to test out with my colony. I've been giving privet over this Winter and the ants seem not to be bothered taking only privet.

Atta cephalotes (2019)
Camponotus detritus (2018)
Camponotus maculatus (2018)

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Re: Britishants food recommendations.

Post by Britishants.com » Sun Jan 03, 2016 4:33 pm

Yeah my Acro's don't touch it either, Atta only on that one! X

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Re: Britishants food recommendations.

Post by Britishants.com » Fri Jan 08, 2016 4:43 pm

For those that live in flats or have limited access to Atta food, we'll be stocking chemical free container grown shrubs that can be harvested as required or planted outside for a constant supply. 3 litre pots approx £11.99 ea varieties Privet and spotted laurel.
Image[/[URL=http://s1045.photobucket.com/user/boscott1/media/CDD0B62D-4983-46D6-8BC3-78A15C4C0C5F_zpswsy4510f.jpg.html]Image

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Re: Britishants food recommendations.

Post by Deansie26 » Fri Jan 08, 2016 5:43 pm

Funny how they both have different tastes isn't it, still to get this for them. I know a neighbour who has this plant, commando out fit ready for the mission tomorrow lol

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