Leaf Cutting Ant Forum

When I was down at Basingstoke College I spoke to Alex (who is our most recent new member) and she said that there has been no struggle at all over winter feeding her colony. I am hoping she will come on and expand on this but she has a list of evergreen shrubs around that she uses including Cotoneaster, leaves and berries.

I've got them I've sent pic in I've tryed to feed
Mine them nothing they didn't want cut them they been going mad with new leafs of roses every day been putting loads in and next morning all gone to the garden

Hopefully Alex will come chat about it, I've tried Cotoneaster before with no success, that's not to say someone else's doesn't love them as it definitely doesn't seem like one boot fits all.

True mine like pine needles of my tree but heard others don't and some
Like orange white stuff mine don't
Lol

I think she said that it was particular types, and she showed me this picture as one of their favourites. So it might be down to species but she said that type was their favourite.

This is the green stuff I got it grows hear tall greens and it's out for the way of cold and winds it's been growing throw winter but can anyone tell me what sort it is plz

Hi all
I have had no problems with finding food for mine over the winter and thought you might like a list of their favourites:
Euonymus japonicas
Viburnum tinus
Pierus sp.
Choisya ternate (Mexican orange)
Griselinia littoralis
Hedera Helix (ivy)
They loved penstemon too but it's only semi evergreen so not always easy to get. I'll try and think of what else they have liked but these ones are all really common in the UK

Thanks for your food list Alex, there's a few on there I'll need to try. I've tried Ivy varieties a few times with no luck, I wish they would as its very easy to get.
The Euonymus japonicus is what I've been having some success with as it grows at the bottom of my garden, thanks for enlightening me in it name

Atta solider wrote:This is the green stuff I got it grows hear tall greens and it's out for the way of cold and winds it's been growing throw winter but can anyone tell me what sort it is plz

Hi, I'm no horticulturist I'll be honest but you have at least two types of evergreen fern there by the look of it.

I've tried cotoneaster Horizontalis, Hedera Helix, Ivy, Grisilliana with no luck! The new thing I have found that's liked by Atta Are Hellaborus and deciduous clematis shoots.
I read in Bert Holldoblers book that they prefer stressed out leaves, those that are left out of water for a few hours and those from pot bound plants! I've trialled this and it's true! In the past I cut and condition material by washing it and putting it in a bowl of fresh water over night to rehydrate and remove any final traces of pesticide. not its washed and left to dry out for an hour or more in a warm room.

On a separate note mine have abandoned privet completely for the Aucuba and don't entertain it all, if the fungus has had a bad experience the ants will reject it for up to 3 months so I read in Berts book! I think they may have had a bad bit of privet from me and now refuse any! I read here I think it was that putting honey on previously refused food may spark the interest again!

btw satsuma peel is adored! large orange peel is ignored!
sean x