Babies! We have babies!
- Thread starter maxttu
- Start date
PappaRONzi
New Member
Now what? I want to try some but not sure. Do you feed them off now? Or do you get them bigger first? (how do you do that) Doesn't look like their is much to them at this point.
chameleoman
Avid Member
ppsssssssshhhhhhhhhhh. . . .. 
lucky i cant get ooths to hatch or mantis to survive or mantis to lay ooths or mantis to breed!!!!!
lucky i cant get ooths to hatch or mantis to survive or mantis to lay ooths or mantis to breed!!!!!
maxttu
New Member
Yeah, I've got to try and beef them up a bit. Picked up some fruitflies today. I've seen some die-offs already? Don't know if they starved or ?? They hatched sometime between Fri afternoon and this morning...
ppsssssssshhhhhhhhhhh. . . ..
lol. So far I've been lucky. I've had 3 hatch in the last couple of months. Still have one waiting in the warehouse.
patrickfraser
New Member
It takes some doing to get them a good size to feed. I raise a lot of different mantid and my chameleons can't get enough of them.
If they are chinese mantid, they have a high mortality rate and have major die off in the first couple intars.
If they are chinese mantid, they have a high mortality rate and have major die off in the first couple intars.
maxttu
New Member
I'm def noticing this. Is there a cause for this? Natural selction, perhaps? Thx!
ChamomilleCame
Avid Member
But where do you put them after that? I've heard they cannibalize.
maxttu
New Member
I've also heard this. I plan to separate them into other containers. Maybe 10 or so per container? I'll follow the progress and adapt from there. I think as long as they have prey available and aren't overcrowded, this should be fine. Unless I'm told otherwise...
patrickfraser
New Member
That sounds like a good idea. I keep a lot of nymphs together until the numbers start to decline and separate them to individual cups to make sure to keep a couple of breeding pairs. Chinese mantis have major die off. It's just what happens with them. The ooth will hatch so many that only the healthiest survive. It's like "eat or be eaten". They are also quick to snatch a soft, molting sibling with no defenses.
maxttu
New Member
Solid Snake
Avid Member
IME, they will eat each other no matter what (eventually) even if they are kept in a HUGE area. I had two in a 24x24x18 screen cage for weeks, kept them fed and such, and one still ate the other. ;/
Or it just died, I guess thats a possibility...
I have not raised them to adulthood, but I think most people isolate them in little dixie cups, covered in paper towel, secured with a rubberband. This is what I did for a good amount of mine. Thats a LOT of dixie cups, and mantids to feed though, so I just fed them off
Or it just died, I guess thats a possibility...
I have not raised them to adulthood, but I think most people isolate them in little dixie cups, covered in paper towel, secured with a rubberband. This is what I did for a good amount of mine. Thats a LOT of dixie cups, and mantids to feed though, so I just fed them off
maxttu
New Member
IME, they will eat each other no matter what (eventually) even if they are kept in a HUGE area. I had two in a 24x24x18 screen cage for weeks, kept them fed and such, and one still ate the other. ;/
Or it just died, I guess thats a possibility...
I have not raised them to adulthood, but I think most people isolate them in little dixie cups, covered in paper towel, secured with a rubberband. This is what I did for a good amount of mine. Thats a LOT of dixie cups, and mantids to feed though, so I just fed them off
Way too many cups, bro! I'll do my 5-10 nymphs in 32oz deli cups and take what I can get!
shermanator
New Member
depending on the species of mantid....but your normal "preying" type mantid, I have heard that the only thing they eat when first hatched for the first few weeks are each other, and even if you separated them all that they would then all die, even if they were fed fruitflies, etc.
Just what I heard from an entomologist the other day....when I was asking about the oothecas, etc.
could be wrong but just info I was told
Just what I heard from an entomologist the other day....when I was asking about the oothecas, etc.
could be wrong but just info I was told
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
I've never been able to keep (even when very well fed) more than three to a ten gallon fish tank (or equivalent). Often the three became two, and then one. And ALWAYS became solo occupants once winged adults. I ran out of fish tanks, critter keepers, large pickle jars.... LOL have fun!
chameleonboy1
Established Member
how did u "pick" them? where did u get them?
maxttu
New Member
I bought the oothecas at a local nursery. $5-6 apiece.
patrickfraser
New Member
that just depends on how many you want to "keep".
To hear such nonsense from an entomologist is ridiculous and totally an "uneducated" statement. Don't believe the hype.
To hear such nonsense from an entomologist is ridiculous and totally an "uneducated" statement. Don't believe the hype.
chameleonboy1
Established Member
Thanx very much maxttu
Action Jackson
Chameleon Enthusiast
OMG I have like a thousand + mantis right now! They're a ton of work. I bought a couple butterfly cages and have been dumping newly hatched ooths in these. So far it has been working great. It gives them some room and good ventilation. The only drawback so far is the mantis spew out some stuff that stains the fabric.
If you want adults you'll have to keep them separate. I use 32 oz deli cups with screen lids. I have problems with the last molt in these though. There's not enough room for them to get a good molt and they get jacked up. I bought some screen cages last weekend that I'm going to try and put the mantis in when they're nearing the last molt.
I need a lot of adults so I'm going to have to get the kinks out of my mantis raising techniques.
If you want adults you'll have to keep them separate. I use 32 oz deli cups with screen lids. I have problems with the last molt in these though. There's not enough room for them to get a good molt and they get jacked up. I bought some screen cages last weekend that I'm going to try and put the mantis in when they're nearing the last molt.
I need a lot of adults so I'm going to have to get the kinks out of my mantis raising techniques.
