How to feed Tetramorium

Tetramorium is a small, opportunistic and very populous ant. Easy to feed, it accepts almost anything.

Calculate exact amounts for your colony →Based on worker count, brood and temperature. Free, no account.

What does Tetramorium eat?

• Protein: small chopped prey (fruit flies, cricket pieces).
• Seeds: small seeds (chia, dandelion), which it happily stores.
• Sugar: sugar water or diluted honey.

How much to feed

Guidelines for a colony with a moderate amount of brood, at 22–28 °C (72–82 °F):

WORKERS	PROTEIN	SUGAR / 3–4 DAYS	SEEDS
10 (Nanitics)	1 prey item every 5 days	1 drop	0.1 g / week
50 (Small)	4 prey items every 4 days	2 drops	0.1 g / week
150 (Growing)	13 prey items every 3 days	6 drops	0.4 g / week
400 (Established)	31 prey items every 3 days	15 drops	1 g / week

1 prey item = one insect the size of a fruit fly (2–3 mm). A medium cricket (1 cm) is worth about 50 prey items. 1 drop ≈ 0.05 mL. Seeds: 1 g ≈ 170 millet seeds ≈ 750 chia seeds; 1 teaspoon ≈ 4 g.

These are starting points. If food is left after 24 h, give less; if everything disappears fast and the brood grows, give more. The calculator also adjusts for brood and temperature.

Hibernation

From November to March, at 5–10 °C (41–50 °F).

Common mistakes

• Choosing a nest that is too small: the population grows fast.
• Mixing two colonies: Tetramorium is very aggressive towards other colonies.
• Forgetting an escape barrier: small workers, great escape artists.

FAQ

Open the calculator for Tetramorium →Feeding log, journal, growth chart and forecast, shopping list.