Forage plants I Food list for Tribus Attini

Description: A general list of food plants from the garden / from nature to supply the tribe Attini, especially the genus Atta and Acromyrmex - the best known leafcutter genera in the German / EU community.

Caution (1): All feed plants should always be washed thoroughly. Spiders, other ants, aphids - but also many other insects / often hunters - often sit on or under the leaves. If you can visually remove a completely untreated and infected plant, then you can feed it directly. Larger colonies tolerate direct feeding of leaves better than sensitive small and young colonies in the first year of keeping. Caution (2): Pesticides are now either very obvious - or completely hidden in the form of fertilizer. The plants should not be placed near the roadside (car exhaust fumes), forest paths and alleys are not included in the assessment. Discolored leaves should not be removed in any form and fed to a leaf-cutter colony. These leaves should be disposed of - in the worst case, a foreign fungus will grow on the actual fungus. Large colonies: Large colonies can be fed directly without any problem - in general, however, any form of input into the closed system should be a.) inspected and, if necessary, washed beforehand. As mentioned above, various disadvantages can arise from convenience, which can cause significant damage to the colony. Small colonies: Small colonies require special care - especially your own breeding colonies are subject to different rules than cases where a queen is placed with a fungus and show a false picture of reality. In particular, the care report from ant veteran "Erne" (www.ameiseninfos) should be read several times before obtaining information from other sources. The general recommendation is: fresh, tender leaves - you can also add rose petals in small quantities and replace the leaves every 2-3 days. Problem cases: Problem cases are an exception - here, in addition to leaves, you can also try to stabilize the colony with oat flakes, small nuts and herbs. In general, problem colonies should be kept as clean and sterile as possible - cleaning is important. There must be no mites, lice or other insects in the system. In addition to hygiene, a plaster floor with Seramis content is also recommended. The food supply should be renewed daily.