Today I did something I thought I would never do...
I ordered and purchased ants!
Yes you read that right. I spent money on those annoying little insects that have ruined many a good picnic. Those same little critters that love to bite you when you run barefoot in the grass... yes I spent money on those.
There is a logical explanation for this, I promise...
Why did I order ants you might ask?
For my pet of course!
If you do not recall, I did a post several months ago about the horned lizard that my stepson and I caught while camping up north. We took him home and created a nice habitat for him. He has been living with us ever since.
The post can be seen here:
https://steemit.com/life/@jrcornel/my-2nd-favorite-pet-of-the-high-desert
Up until now we had been getting by with feeding him crickets, mealworms, and occasionally the ants that we would catch outside our house.
So, what changed?
Recently, we have been having a bit of a scorpion problem and because of this, Pest Control will now be spraying for bugs all around the building. They do this because insects around the home are the number one driver of scorpions, at least according to Pest Control.
If you eliminate the bugs, the scorpions will soon leave.
However, now that bug spray is going to be used all around the house, catching ants and feeding them to our dear pet is no longer an option as they will most likely be carrying bug spray on them.
Ants are a very important and critical part of a horned lizard's diet, so forgoing them was not really an option if we intended to keep our pet.
That is where this site comes in:
http://www.antsalive.com/horned-lizard-food.ants
Who knew that you could just go online and order ants in bulk to feed your pets? The world really is a great place isn't it?! :)
Soon our lizard will be fat and happy!
(or should I say, fatter and happier?!)
I ordered 500 to start with as the site claims they stay alive in their packaging for quite a while, or even longer if stored in the refrigerator. Although, I find it highly unlikely I would be able to convince the Mrs. to let that happen...
The price of the ants isn't great (especially when you include the shipping) but it is the cost of owning a horned lizard I guess. Plus, how can you put a price on the health and happiness of your pet?! :)
Live well my friends!
Image Sources for the 1st two images:
http://www.antsalive.com/horned-lizard-food.ants
*The rest of the images were taken by me
Follow me: @jrcornel
@jrcornel I was very intrigued!
Good thinking - and your horned lizard is freaking cute!!!!
Thank you for posting about it now I can send it to @kus-knee who was having ants problem last time I checked and would be kept in mind in case I do, too.
Haha yes, send him ( @kus-knee ) my way! Tell him I have a solution for him! :)
@jrcornel I just did !
You have a nice and interesting pet indeed (I mean the reptile, not the ants), but can you imagine: I would go even further and order ants to be my pets themselves (instead to be food for my pets). I am really fascinated by these high developed, colonial and even intelligent (they even pass the mirror test!) animals.
... at the same time ants are talking to each other: "You heard right: we just got ordered by one of these annoying humans who always step on our buildings and dare to make picnic in our territory!"It's always a matter of perspective who is annoying ... :-)
Haha! Yes that is a great point!
perfect @jrcornel
Thank you!
you are welcome ^_^
That's a strange looking lizard hahah. Like... A dinosaur turtle :'D
Haha yep. They are called "horned lizards" or in some places they are called "hornytoads", although that name sounds more descriptive than an actual name, lol. Ever heard of them?
Cool. And no that's the thing, never heard, never seen one ;)
Look them up if you get the chance. They are the ant's main predator!
The pic made me think the same until i read what exactly the creature is :P
Dinoturtle!
Yes!
What a cute little creature!! How many ants can he/she eat daily?
& how do you know it's hungry......lol
Thank you! I think they eat somewhere around 20 ants per day... and I guess they are just hungry every day until they get their 20 ants or so. :)
That's truly awesome, i would never have thought you could get ants online!
If you ever need some, you just let me know! ;)
Sometimes for our beloved animals we sacrifice unloved animals ...
The picture is taken from the site http://relaxic.net/satiric-drawings/
Lol this is so brutal, yet true!
The truth is sometimes cruel.
Neat post! At first glance, I thought your friend was a turtle! Amazing!
Your ant purchase makes me think... Wouldn't it be fun for the family, (maybe even the Mrs!) to farm your own ants?! Maybe even more cost effective if you'll be at this for a while?
Here is a good youtube channel and starter video. (No connection to me.)
Yep and you are probably right. The first thing I looked at was an ant farm, and I will probably end up going that route at some point. Like you said it would be a lot more cost efficient. Thanks for the heads up!
Sure thing! I always wanted one when I was a kid, so I see hours of fun and learning for your stepson!
Yep, plus a replenishing food supply for our pet! It's a win win :)
Then you can repopulate your building when your neighbours tick you off too! Muahahah!
Haha perfect!
Man, you can really order anything online. I hope for you that he only eats 20 ants a day and not 100 :)
Yes same here... he could get expensive real quick!
Next you need to show a video of it eating the ants :)
Oooo... that is a great idea for a post! Thanks!