Feeding Ant Colonies: What Ants Eat and How Often

Ants need three things from their food: carbohydrates for energy, protein to grow, and water. How you provide them depends on the species. This guide covers the basics.

Sugar: energy for the workers

In nature many ants drink nectar and honeydew, the sweet liquid produced by aphids. In captivity you can offer sugar water or diluted honey. Keep it available regularly and replace it before it spoils.

Protein: growth for the brood

The larvae and the queen need protein to grow. Small insects such as fruit flies, pieces of cricket or mealworm are common choices, offered in small amounts. Protein is what turns eggs into workers, so a colony that is growing needs it regularly.

Seeds for harvester ants

Harvester ants such as Messor structor and Messor barbarus eat mainly seeds, which they store in underground chambers. Offer a mixture of small seeds, plus occasional insects and a sugar source. Keep the seed store dry and the brood area moist, as described in harvester ant care.

Special diets

• Leafcutter ants do not eat the leaves they cut. They use fresh plant material to grow a fungus, and the fungus is the colony’s main food. See leafcutter ant care.
• Honeypot ants keep sugar water available all the time and take small insects for protein. See honeypot ant care.
• The giant forest ant takes mostly honeydew in nature and needs regular sugar in captivity. See carpenter ant care.

How often should you feed?

Little and often is better than a lot at once. As a rule, offer protein once or twice a week for a growing colony and keep a sugar source available. Adjust to the colony: if protein is left over, feed less.

Avoiding mould and waste

• Remove uneaten insects within a day or two, because they spoil quickly.
• Use a small dish or a piece of foil, so food does not touch the substrate.
• Never use insects caught from places treated with pesticides.
• Keep water fresh and clean.

Frequently asked questions

Can ants eat bread or sweets from the kitchen?

Plain sugar water or diluted honey is safer. Salty, spicy or heavily processed foods are not good for a colony.

My ants are ignoring the food. Is something wrong?

Ants may eat less when it is cold, when the colony is resting for winter or when it has just been disturbed. Check the temperature and wait a day or two.

Do I need to feed a founding queen?

Not before her first workers appear if she is a claustral founder. See how to care for a queen ant.