Harvester Ant Seed Mix

Our Harvester Ant Seed Mix contains 1oz of a diverse array of native and nonnative seeds that are perfect for granivorous ant species! Depending on the size of your colony, this may feed them anywhere from three months to a year.

While most ants primarily feed on insects and liquid sugars, some are granivorous, feeding on seeds instead. Different species may be granivorous to various degrees. Some, such as Tetramorium immigrans, are simply opportunistic, eating seeds when they find them, but still requiring insects and liquid sugars as a large portion of their diet. Others, such as Pogonomyrmex spp., primarily eat seeds, but will still benefit from insects in their diet. Finally, some species, for example, those in the Veromessor genus, are almost exclusively granivorous, only consuming insects on rare occasions.

Since granivory is uncommon among ants, many antkeepers struggle to feed them at first, and most resort to a diet of only one or two kinds of seeds. In the wild, these ants would naturally feed on many different species. In some cases, Pogonomyrmex spp. have been observed foraging 9 or more different species of seeds in one location.¹ While only 3-4 of these species make up the majority of their diets, Different species of seeds contain different nutrient contents, and a lack of variety in available foraging choices has the potential to affect colony health in the form of a nutrient imbalance.

To combat this issue, we’ve developed our very own Harvester Ant Seed Mix. This seed mix contains a mix of 5 native plant species from the western US and 5 nonnative plant species that harvester ants are known to enjoy in the wild and in captivity. We developed this mix through testing with Novomessor albisetosus, Pogonomyrmex badius, Pogonomyrmex barbatus, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, and Veromessor andrei. Due to the wide range of species tested, we can be confident that this mix will be an effective food source for granivorous ant species found in the western US. As many granivorous species still consume insects and liquid sugars, it is not recommended to feed your colony solely from a seed mix.

Our Harvester Ant Seed Mix contains a mixture that includes various Bouteloua sp., Chrysothamnus sp., Encelia sp., Poa spp., Salvia sp., and Sporobolus sp. seeds.