Chestnuts!!!

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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Acromyrmexbob
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Chestnuts!!!

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Tue Oct 17, 2017 9:22 pm

So I stayed the night with Julien Hendrickx, owner of Origin Ants in Belgium. I was fascinated by some of his techniques. One I was interested in was that when winter is coming, he collected several sacks of Chestnuts and feeds them, cut in half, throughout the winter. They stay fresh inside the shell and can be stored for months. The ants seemed to love them. Could be a new staple diet for our ants!!

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Leafcutter
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Re: Chestnuts!!!

Post by Leafcutter » Wed Oct 18, 2017 10:38 am

A French keeper spoke to me about chestnuts a few weeks back, apparently Atta and Acromyrmex love them, but I have yet to try them.

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

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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: Chestnuts!!!

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Wed Oct 18, 2017 6:29 pm

To be honest, I tried them at one of the shows I attended, the ants didnt touch them but they were cold and had recently been moved. So not a reliable test. Will have another go. I can see hoards of Leaf Cutting Ant keepers scouring the country in future, filling sacks with chestnuts for their winter stores, just like the squirrels do!

Atta solider
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Re: Chestnuts!!!

Post by Atta solider » Fri Dec 22, 2017 2:36 pm

Lol I be one of them Andrew

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