Darkling beetle larvae for ants

Darkling beetle larvae are feeder insects for the protein portion of an ant colony’s diet. Offer them in small servings and watch the workers break down the food and carry it into the nest. This makes it easier to match the amount of food to the colony’s needs.

Offering larvae to your ants

Use a separate feeding area or a shallow dish. For a small colony, offer a freshly killed larva and cut it if needed to give workers easier access to the soft tissues. Increase the amount gradually, watching how much the ants actually consume.

Check the feeding dish and remove leftovers before they spoil. This is especially useful in a humid outworld, where uneaten protein food can quickly become a source of contamination.

Keeping a feeder culture

The beetles can be bred as a separate feeder culture. This requires a dedicated container and regular care: keep the culture apart from the ant colony and select larvae for feeding. Rolled oats are one of the foods used for the culture.

Larvae supplement the colony’s diet. Its main food should suit the ant species; for Messor, seed food continues to have an important role.