Key Technical Points and Experience Sharing on Medicinal Ant Farming

Currently, the main medicinal ant in China is the “black spiny ant” (Polyrhachis vicina). Artificial rearing of medicinal ants has the characteristics of fast reproduction, low risk, small investment and high returns. The key technical points for medicinal ant farming are introduced below:

1. Ant house construction should choose indoor cement floor or dirt floor, any size is acceptable. Build an annular water trough around the outside of the rearing pool, with a trough width of about 50 cm and a depth of about 10 cm; fill the trough with water to prevent the ants from escaping. Build a simple wooden frame inside the island, which can be layered, with each layer about 25 to 30 cm, connected from top to bottom; 5 to 10 nests can be kept per sq m.

2. Ant nest propagation. Introduced ant nests should have a king and a queen so that they can reproduce. The growth and reproduction of medicinal ants are closely related to the control of temperature and humidity. With proper control, one nest can reproduce about 150 to 250 nests in a year. The conventional temperature is 10°C to 38°C, the optimal breeding temperature is 25°C to 30°C, and the environmental humidity should be kept at 80% to 90%. The humidity of the rearing soil should be about 20%; spraying clean water several times a day is sufficient. In winter, cover the outside of the shed with plastic sheeting or use light bulbs and a coal stove for heating. Each queen lays about 30 to 50 eggs per day, with a survival rate above 80%. Generally, nests are divided once every 20 days to two months. Before nest division, large numbers of ants come out to feed; at this time, add some leaves, grass, sawdust and a spoonful of white sugar to a fast-food box so that the ants divide the nest on their own.

3. Ant bait feeding. Ants are omnivorous insects, and artificial rearing must provide sufficient and palatable bait. You can feed corn flour, non-alkaline food, leftover rice, rice bran, watermelon rind, rotten pears, etc., and you can also feed some insects with high protein content, such as flies and insect or mouse carcasses.

4. Daily management

1. Environmental hygiene. The bait the ants eat must be hygienic, the water they drink must also be hygienic, and the ant room must be cleaned frequently.

2. Light. Maintain 15 hours of light per day and night; avoid direct sunlight in summer, and use a 15-watt light bulb for light at night.

3. Air circulation. Always keep the air in the ant room circulating, with fresh air.

4. Prevent startling. Ant nests must not be turned over at will, so as not to affect reproduction.

5. Prevent contamination. Prevent contamination by the odors of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, paint, cigarettes, etc.

5. Dried ant processing. First let the ants starve for 3 to 5 days, then place a plastic bag in their activity area with a little white sugar inside; when large numbers of ants enter the bag to feed, tie the bag tightly and expose it to the sun for 10 hours to make dried ants; after air-drying, put them into gunny sacks, tie the openings well, and hang them in a cool, dry place, ready for sale.