Bundle Offer – Pheidole pallidula

Bundle offer including an ant colony Pheidole pallidula (queen with 11-25 workers + brood), a starter set Digfix S, 2x formicarium pads and a desert photo background.

Only while stocks last.

Everything you need for a Pheidole pallidula ant colony

This bundle includes everything you need to successfully get a colony of Pheidole pallidula through the first few months. It can be flexibly expanded and is explicitly suitable for getting started in ant keeping.

Ant species Pheidole pallidula

Pheidole pallidula is an omnivorous ant species (it feeds on both plant and animal matter). They are found mainly in southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. Their range extends to North Africa and the Middle East. The workers are divided into two distinctly different castes: the smaller Minor workers and the larger Major workers, often referred to as soldiers.

Pheidole pallidula prefers to live in warm, dry areas and is known for its high adaptability. It forms polygynous colonies (several queens per colony), which allows it to expand rapidly. The species is known for its aggressive defence and rapid recruitment of workers when disturbed.

Nest for Pheidole pallidula

Pheidole pallidula prefers sandy or slightly loamy soils for nesting. Therefore, we have included a Digfix nest insert. This simulates natural sandy soil and at the same time provides a much better view of the chambers and corridors of the nest. In nature, their nests are often found under stones or in crevices. The species is very flexible and can also adapt well to artificial nests, making them ideal for keeping in a formicarium.

Food for Pheidole pallidula

Pheidole pallidula has an omnivorous diet. They collect seeds and small insects and also like to accept honey or sugar solution. In nature, they actively hunt small insects and use their proteins to raise their brood. In addition, they collect seeds in their nest to bridge food shortages.

Climate conditions for Pheidole pallidula

Humidity:
Arena: 30 – 50%
Nest area: 50 – 70%
Temperature:
Arena: 25 – 30°C
Nest area: 21 – 28°C

Pheidole pallidula is a fascinating species for beginners and experienced ant keepers alike, due to its adaptability and interesting social structure.

Contents:
1x ant colony Pheidole pallidula (queen + 11-25 workers + brood)
1x sugar-honey solution (SH) – refill pack 10ml
1x cricket jam 25g
1x formicarium pad- 20x20cm
1x Formicarium pad- 20x6cm
1x Desert photo background 20×10
1x ANTCUBE – Arena 20x20x10 – flat
1x Arena frame 20×20
1x Arena cover 20×20
4x Fixing point for arena cover
1x ANTCUBE – ant farm – S – 20×20 – standing
1x ANTCUBE – Digfix plate 20×20 – S
1x 0.5m transparent tube 10/06 mm
1x ANTCUBE – red film 20×20 – filter
1x adhesive clips – transparent – 2 pcs.
1x substrate – sand-clay beige – 200g
1x mesh insert – 50mm – stainless steel
1x formicaria plug for 50mm hole
1x formicaria plug for 27mm hole
1x formicaria cap for 6mm socket
1x basin connector B-27 and S-10-16 mm M25 – set
1x 2ml feeder – 360°
1x clear drinking bowl 20ml – sponge
1x clear food cup 1×20 – sponge
1x mini thermo-hygrometer analogue – hanging display
1x ant escape protection powder 10ml
1x tweezers spring steel – wide – soft
1x tweezers plastic transparent
1x plastic pipette 3ml
1x hand magnifier – 2x – 30mm
1x foam wiper 150x18x2.5mm

Description:
The Digfix Starter Set is suitable for various ant species, especially for those that nest in sand and (dead) wood. It can be kept dry or slightly moist.
The transparent farm can be used with the ANTCUBE Digfix plate. The ants dig their own tunnels and chambers into the material. If required, further modules can be connected via the 50mm holes in the cover, such as the separately available foggers, fans or lights. Alternatively, matching formicaria plugs are included to close the openings. If you prefer, you can also operate the formicarium openly by simply placing the removable frame on the ground and applying ant escape protection oil to its edge. The ‘watering can 2ml – 360 degrees’ is intended for honey/sugar solution, the ‘watering can clear 20ml – sponge’ for water. The ‘Mini Thermo-Hygrometer’ can be attached to the frame or the cover and displays the climate values.

Important: Please moisten the ground before use so that the mixture can bind and develop a firm hold in the ant farm. In addition, a ground that is too dry and dusty can cause the ants’ airways to become blocked, causing them to suffocate in the worst case.

Recommendation: We recommend a layer of substrate 2 mm high so that the animals cannot dig themselves into the arena and instead use the farm provided for that purpose. We also recommend lightly piercing the nesting material in the farm (sand/clay, Digfix, etc.) in one place to make digging easier for the animals.
Note: The nest can be used in a dry or humid formicarium. If the nest is kept permanently wet (too wet), food remains can cause mould to form.
Note on Digfix: The natural colour can vary between green-grey-brown and earth-brown. The colour has no influence on the quality.

Notes on production
The glass is cut according to DIN 1249 with a tolerance of +/- 1mm. For extremely small ant species, additional breakout protection is essential.

Notes on the farm
When connecting or disconnecting tubes, the following should be noted:
If the tube is difficult to fit onto the connector, a drop of our anti-escape oil or powder should be applied to the connector. The tube should then be pushed onto the connector by twisting or screwing it on, without applying any up and down pressure to the connector. The same applies when removing the tubes from the farm connector. Please do not just pull them off!

Notes on Cricket Jam:
Our Cricket Jam is an easy way to provide your ants with freshly preserved protein food without having to feed live insects. The crickets (Acheta domesticus) are gently cooked to ensure that nutritional value, taste and aroma are preserved. In addition, the chitinous exoskeleton of the insects is softened in this way so that it can be digested more easily. The collagen protein compounds are split so that the ants can utilise them better. The Acheta domesticus from the tin have the same nutritional value as live crickets, but are easier to digest.
The cricket jam is not suitable for hunting ant species that require live food (e.g. ponerines (uromyid ants) such as Harpegnathos or Odontomachus).

Further advantages:
Guaranteed free of mites
Can be portioned and diluted with water
Sterilised and vacuum-packed
Without additives
Crickets from sustainable, purely organic breeding, fed with organic waste.

Note:
Can be kept in the refrigerator for about four days after opening. Longer shelf life when frozen.

Attention: Portion first, then freeze.

Notes on the sugar-honey solution (ZH) – refill pack 10ml
Contents: 10 ml

Description: This is a product consisting of various carbohydrates (such as honey and sugar)

Application: The food tube can be placed whole in the formicarium, or alternatively, depending on the needs/size of the colony, smaller quantities can be placed in a food bowl. The food should be consumed within about 3 days, otherwise there is a risk of mould. For the same reason, clean the food bowl before refilling.

Use:
Sugar-honey solution = for sugar/honey-eating ant species
This is a supplementary food
It can be offered to the animals as supplied. Since the sugar concentration decreases due to the humidity and a fermentation process begins, the food should be replaced every 3 days. Thoroughly clean the feeding bowl/tube before reuse.
Once opened, the package should be kept tightly closed (if stored in a dry place) and used by the date given (best before date).

Contains:
Fructose 27 to 44%,
glucose 22 to 41%,
sucrose up to 5%,
maltose 4 to 14%,
other complex sugars 1 to 14%.
Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 92g
Protein: 0g
Salt: 0g

Storage: In order to ensure the quality of the feed, it should be stored in a dark and dry place.

Note:
Please refer to the package insert for the composition, analytical constituents, best-before date and batch number.
Information Hotline +49 30 76687051

Competent veterinary and food supervisory authority:
Veterinary Office Steglitz
Königin-Luise-Str. 92
14195 Berlin