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Do leaf cutter ants need water?
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 12:06 pm
by fepeco
Do leaf cutter ants need water, or they drink from the fungus because of the humidity?
Re: Do leaf cutter ants need water?
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 1:46 pm
by Andyj
I never used to bother because theres always water droplets in the tank but i now offer fresh water which they are happy to drink from a shallow bowl
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Re: Do leaf cutter ants need water?
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:14 pm
by fepeco
So a test tube is enough?
Re: Do leaf cutter ants need water?
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:18 pm
by Andyj
You could use a test tube with some cotton wool inside
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Re: Do leaf cutter ants need water?
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:44 pm
by Leafcutter
Andyj wrote:You could use a test tube with some cotton wool inside
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The cotton wool is likely to get chewed up. The humidity inside the nest should provide enough water for the ants, I used to see ants drinking the condensation.
Re: RE: Re: Do leaf cutter ants need water?
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 5:39 pm
by fepeco
Leafcutter wrote:Andyj wrote:You could use a test tube with some cotton wool inside
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The cotton wool is likely to get chewed up. The humidity inside the nest should provide enough water for the ants, I used to see ants drinking the condensation.
Thats was I thinking Andyj, but Leafcutter has a good point, but if they are willing to chew the cotton they have to be thirsty?
Re: Do leaf cutter ants need water?
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 5:57 pm
by Andyj
They just want to take it to the dump.
Re: Do leaf cutter ants need water?
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 6:12 pm
by Deansie26
I had a small dish in my old Atta foraging tank with cotton wool which was soaked continually, I never seen the ants chew it. I only changed it once it became very soiled, It was there because there was no condensation in the fungus tanks.
Re: Do leaf cutter ants need water?
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 7:01 pm
by Andyj
I started using a shallow bowl with a pebble in because my ants used to drink from the water bottle used to stand cut twigs in.The pebble was for for them to climb onto should they fall. For a creature coming from the rain forest they are incredibly adept to drowning. To be honest i have never tried using a test tube with cotton wool for LCA's but i use bits of it to plug up holes which they always pull to pieces and take to the dump. Like my wife, these girls seem to have to tidy everything up..
Re: Do leaf cutter ants need water?
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 7:09 pm
by Deansie26
Cotton wool, an essential tool lol. It's funny Andy, I've added a moat to my Atta unit and load have drowned and I don't bat an eye lid but it it would annoy me more with Acromyrmex as i know they take longer to replace.
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