A lot of people out there do add supplements -protein included- to their ant food stuffs, and if you feel it gets results, then by all means continue to use it. Personally, I have always thought it unnecessary. Not only that, but I've seen some pretty impressive colonies raised in captivity on honey water solution and insect prey alone.
A few years back, Eric managed to raise a Formica rufa colony to twice the size it naturally occurs in the wild feeding it only on honey water solution and Lasius flavus pupae.
My own Lasius flavus colony seems to be going from strength to strength fed on honey water alone. These ants are thought to almost fully sustain themselves on aphid secretions in their natural environment; the workers synthesise the protein themselves in order to feed the larvae.
Tags: Keeping Ants
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