Praying Mantis Sacks

[KatiLemons]

So I saw in the classified that someone is selling (I'm assuming) egg sacks for praying mantis'. I was wondering how easy it is to hatch and keep them for a food source? Anyone have any luck with them? Are there any tricks or certain things you have to do in order for them to hatch? such as temp, humidity, darkness.??Also what to feed them once they do hatch? I would apprecitate ANY input on the subject or if anyone knows of a good site/thread that is about the subject.... Also if anyone has successfully hatched them to post a pic of what then enclosure looks like that you keep them in !! Thanks

 

[sdheli420]

I used to breed mantids..they are very easy to hatch..put them in a 10 gallon aquarium and a heat lamp on them..cover most of the top with a towel so temps are about 80 and humidity at 70-100..they will hatch in about 2 weeks..as for keeping them..they are cannibalistic, and will eat eachother, they eat constantly..they are best for pygmies and baby chams

 

[KatiLemons]

Good to know cause I am getting my 5/6 month Panther tomorrow so mantids would probably NOT be a good food souce for this guy!! It still would be cool to see them hatch! I have heard that its about 400 to a sack. Thats amazing.

 

[sdheli420]

ya , usually around 200 or so, but if you dont have a good top for it they will be every where!! lol..but you could hatch them and set them free around your house..maybe find some later in a few months when they have grown to a good feeder size..

 

[KatiLemons]

true. Then don't bite or have pinchers do they? Oh I bet my cat would have a field day with those if they were around the house!!

 

[sdheli420]

your cat may be in for a suprize if it finds an adult mantis..they can have quite a pinch..kinda like what a wasp bite feels like..but they usually are not aggressive to people, ive only had one big one get threatened and strike at me, but never locked on, only like a quick poke..they are neat pets..i currently am raising a few violin mantids..

heres a vid of an adult female..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-JajSayLvQ

 

[pssh]

Chinese mantids are indeed cannibalistic, but it is possible to rear them together for a while with minimal losses. They just need a TON of food and lots of space. If you ever let them get hungry without food around, brothers become the food.

They are very easy to hatch out. They will hatch out at room temp, though warmer temperatures quicken the process. They dont require special lighting, just leave them in a room in your home. A very light misting every other day or so is a good idea. They eat fruit flies and pinhead crickets.

 

[sdheli420]

Chinese mantids are indeed cannibalistic, but it is possible to rear them together for a while with minimal losses. They just need a TON of food and lots of space. If you ever let them get hungry without food around, brothers become the food.

They are very easy to hatch out. They will hatch out at room temp, though warmer temperatures quicken the process. They dont require special lighting, just leave them in a room in your home. A very light misting every other day or so is a good idea. They eat fruit flies and pinhead crickets.

exacally..the young can live together with enough room and food it will minimalize how many eat eachother..although there are species that can be kept together such as the violin mantids(they usually go for smaller food items than the carolina tids and chinese tids)..but good luck!!

out of all the worlds animals, my fave three are:

chams

praying mantids

cuttlefish

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Just had an ooth hatch yesterday that I got from Pssh a few weeks ago. The damn fire ants got to em before i knew they had hatched out. Im so pissed. I managed to save about 50-75 baby mantis from the ants for my 2 baby falys i have. They were hunting and eatting like crazy this morning.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

I raise / feed / feed off, quite a few species of mantids. But I'm just crazy that way

Working mostly with species from Madagascar. Chinese mantids take a good 5 to 6 months to mature, while Madagascan marble mantis can do it in 3 with no ooth diapause inbetween.

piture is of pair this morning, that mated through to night.

 

[sdheli420]

I raise / feed / feed off, quite a few species of mantids. But I'm just crazy that way

Working mostly with species from Madagascar. Chinese mantids take a good 5 to 6 months to mature, while Madagascan marble mantis can do it in 3 with no ooth diapause inbetween.

piture is of pair this morning, that mated through to night.

ya the marbles are fast..not too fun as a pet as they just dont live all that long...since i love them so much, its like the thought of breeding chameleons to feed to my mantids, and vice versa..i just cant do it!!! LOL

 

[SSimsswiSS]

ya the marbles are fast..not too fun as a pet as they just dont live all that long...since i love them so much, its like the thought of breeding chameleons to feed to my mantids, and vice versa..i just cant do it!!! LOL

I know what you mean. I have ornate mantis like the orchids and dead leafs that are more pets, and then the one's I use as feeders. I raise up many of them for half a year. Caring for them, only to feed them off in seconds. But the pay off is great. Feeding daytime insects, to daytime chameleons.

Here's a video of twig mantis, one of the longest lived mantis. http://youtu.be/awM_4S77yQM

 

[sdheli420]

I know what you mean. I have ornate mantis like the orchids and dead leafs that are more pets, and then the one's I use as feeders. I raise up many of them for half a year. Caring for them, only to feed them off in seconds. But to pay off is great. Feeding daytime insects, to daytime chameleons.

Here's a video of twig mantis, one of the longest lived mantis. http://youtu.be/awM_4S77yQM

ya true..and i cant say that i havent fed off some of my older praying mantids to my larger panther chams..it sucks but they are good for chameleons, especially after they have been gutloaded with gutloaded crickets..

 

[pssh]

If you're only using the mantids as feeders for small reptiles, I dont think the chinese can be beat! Just set a dozen or two ooths out in a pesticide free place at the beginning of spring and go back later to look for larger ones/ooths. then keep em and feed em off!

I have a field by me that has some mantids in the summer. I can't tell if they are california mantids or the europeans. I'll have to catch some later on.

 

[Kansascity]

I agree very simple to hatch them yet mine always seem to take between 3-6 weeks to hatch. I buy the nests from kids science company. We release them in our gardens to help us and the veggies I will post pics (in the afternoon) of our nest that is soon to hatch. plus I collect the rare forms as beautiful pets.

 

[melric]

I see Chinese mantis sacs for sale on ebay all the time. I hatched an ooth out and they didn't survive long. It was sad.

 

[Stanly]

I'm going to have to get some of these, I've always loved watching praying mantis and dragon flies. Speaking of.... Can chameleons eat dragon flies?

 

[Silkyslim]

I'm going to have to get some of these, I've always loved watching praying mantis and dragon flies. Speaking of.... Can chameleons eat dragon flies?

That question has come up often in the past, I believe the general consensus is that they are good treats but not staples by any means.

 

[sdheli420]

when i was little my mom always told me they can sting, or bite..never looked into it but can they (dragonflies) ??

and how would someone go about finding or catching some..i know in north carolina ied see them everywhere, dont see them much here..