can praying mantids be a primary feeder?

[pablo rodriguez]

can praying mantids be a primary feeder? would it be ok if i use both mantids and crickets as my primary feeders?

 

[reptoman]

Seems to me that you would spend most of your time keeping the mantids alive. They are great for feeding babies after getting the occasional ooth to hatch out but trying to maintain a constant food source or getting enough grown to a size that would feed an adult cham would be a challenge. Dubias and crickets as a staple makes more sense but a varied diet is best. JMO

 

[pablo rodriguez]

Seems to me that you would spend most of your time keeping the mantids alive. They are great for feeding babies after getting the occasional ooth to hatch out but trying to maintain a constant food source or getting enough grown to a size that would feed an adult cham would be a challenge. Dubias and crickets as a staple makes more sense but a varied diet is best. JMO

So since making praying mantids my primary feeder isnt a good idea hw many mandits can i feed them a week or a day?

 

[jrh3]

You can feed as many as you want but you will soon run out. Too much work to us mantids as a primary feeder unless they are L1 nymphs and then you will have to have a constant ooth hatch.

 

[patrickfraser]

Too much work for too little "meat". I started with raising praying mantids in 2011 and got my chameleons in 2012. I call the chams my "mantis disposers" and they love them. They get all mismolts and adult mantids that are getting old and slowing down.
So yeah, it's an excellent primary feeder if you have the time for it. Even with my raising of the mantids, it's still more of a "treat".
Sometimes they don't want to be eaten.

 

[sandrachameleon]

can praying mantids be a primary feeder? would it be ok if i use both mantids and crickets as my primary feeders?

I suggest you forget the idea of having a primary feeder, of any kind.
Variety is the way to go.

 

[Action Jackson]

I agree. I've raised probably 200 + Mantis to adulthood to feed my Parson's. It's a lot of work. I fed mine crickets which you have to get in different sizes as the mantis grow. You have to clean their cups out every week or two, they stink worse than crickets if you feed them crickets and you have to worry about your Chameleons getting injured from eating them. Really time consuming too.

Seems to me that you would spend most of your time keeping the mantids alive. They are great for feeding babies after getting the occasional ooth to hatch out but trying to maintain a constant food source or getting enough grown to a size that would feed an adult cham would be a challenge. Dubias and crickets as a staple makes more sense but a varied diet is best. JMO

 

[sdheli420]

one more thing to consider, mantids eat almost or as much as a cham that size, to have properly gutloaded mantids, thats alot of feeders even just to feed the mantids..plus mantids are also awesome too, its hard to feed them off ..

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

This is all true, however I will probably work on breeding matids. Love those guys, feed off some and keep some as pets.