praying mantis?

[MissSkittles]

I just ordered some ooths from eBay, so will take more pics this time if I can.

 

[yungzerk]

I just ordered some ooths from eBay, so will take more pics this time if I can.

i just found a cacoon for $7 and a pair of juveniles for $12! pretty good deal

 

[elizaann2]

I got two Ooths at a local nursery. I think I had over 200 after they hatched, I only wanted to feed off the small ones so my chams got a special treat for a few days and the others I let free in my yard. I plan on doing the same again this year.

 

[yungzerk]

I got two Ooths at a local nursery. I think I had over 200 after they hatched, I only wanted to feed off the small ones so my chams got a special treat for a few days and the others I let free in my yard. I plan on doing the same again this year.

im thinking about ordering like 2 of the Ooths, they’re only $7 and i dont have experience hatching these so if one doesn’t work ill have a backup!

 

[snitz427]

I feed mantids often! I buy the eggs / ooths in December or January (usually harvested around then) in bulk on ebay. I hatch them right in the cage. For smaller chams or females, they eat them as babies/hatchlings. Small but fun/engaging!

The larger chams usually ignore them until the mantids reach about 1-2”. They never, ever make it even close to adult size. They also cannibalize each other so while you may start with 100, by day 3 there may be 30, and so on.

I dont feed wild caught or adults often. Carolina mantids are good size as adults - chinese mantids can get huge, especially females.

 

[Andrew1283]

I fed two full sized adult Carolina mantids last year and it didn’t last very long at all!

 

[yungzerk]

I feed mantids often! I buy the eggs / ooths in December or January (usually harvested around then) in bulk on ebay. I hatch them right in the cage. For smaller chams or females, they eat them as babies/hatchlings. Small but fun/engaging!

The larger chams usually ignore them until the mantids reach about 1-2”. They never, ever make it even close to adult size. They also cannibalize each other so while you may start with 100, by day 3 there may be 30, and so on.

I dont feed wild caught or adults often. Carolina mantids are good size as adults - chinese mantids can get huge, especially females.

thats amazing to hear! im sure i can look it up but from your personal experience how did you have success hatching them? After hearing this i will be ordering a bunch of them if i can find a way to hathc them properly

 

[elizaann2]

im thinking about ordering like 2 of the Ooths, they’re only $7 and i dont have experience hatching these so if one doesn’t work ill have a backup!

That’s what I did! Both hatched. I just put them in my window they need warmer temps to hatch. Or at least mine did.

 

[yungzerk]

That’s what I did! Both hatched. I just put them in my window they need warmer temps to hatch. Or at least mine did.

cool! im so excited to feed my boy little mantis buggies

 

[snitz427]

thats amazing to hear! im sure i can look it up but from your personal experience how did you have success hatching them? After hearing this i will be ordering a bunch of them if i can find a way to hathc them properly

Often I just wedge them against a branch directly in the cage. They “fall” out while hatching so you dont want to obstruct the ooth or a few inches below it.

If I want a more controlled environment I just hang them from a lil piece of wire, poked thru the lid of a tall deli cup and shake them in.

 

[yungzerk]

Often I just wedge them against a branch directly in the cage. They “fall” out while hatching so you dont want to obstruct the ooth or a few inches below it.

If I want a more controlled environment I just hang them from a lil piece of wire, poked thru the lid of a tall deli cup and shake them in.

perfect! thank you so much for the reply, i just ordered 6 Ooths, if i were to not hatch them in my cage would it work to just put them next my window in separate containers since it gets up to 75-80 there?

 

[snitz427]

perfect! thank you so much for the reply, i just ordered 6 Ooths, if i were to not hatch them in my cage would it work to just put them next my window in separate containers since it gets up to 75-80 there?

Room temp is fine. can also keep the ooths in the fridge for a few weeks (but not past april). They actually need several weeks of cold to make them think winter has passed.

 

[SauceGandhi]

I do have some giant asian mantis (Hierodula membranacea) adult pairs, if you want to make your own ooths. They lay huge ooths that take about 40 days to hatch, no cooling required. Just need once/week misting. I've never counted the babies, but it appears to be around 100/ooth and they lay 4 or so over the course of months.

 

[yungzerk]

I do have some giant asian mantis (Hierodula membranacea) adult pairs, if you want to make your own ooths. They lay huge ooths that take about 40 days to hatch, no cooling required. Just need once/week misting. I've never counted the babies, but it appears to be around 100/ooth and they lay 4 or so over the course of months.

that would be awesome! but i’ve heard that female mantis’s will try to eat the males after breeding so i think i’d rather stick with just the eggs for now

 

[yungzerk]

Room temp is fine. can also keep the ooths in the fridge for a few weeks (but not past april). They actually need several weeks of cold to make them think winter has passed.

thank you so much for the reply! i’ll be sure to update you whenever my ooths hatch

 

[SauceGandhi]

that would be awesome! but i’ve heard that female mantis’s will try to eat the males after breeding so i think i’d rather stick with just the eggs for now

I always give the female food while breeding, so never had that issue

 

[yungzerk]

I feed mantids often! I buy the eggs / ooths in December or January (usually harvested around then) in bulk on ebay. I hatch them right in the cage. For smaller chams or females, they eat them as babies/hatchlings. Small but fun/engaging!

The larger chams usually ignore them until the mantids reach about 1-2”. They never, ever make it even close to adult size. They also cannibalize each other so while you may start with 100, by day 3 there may be 30, and so on.

I dont feed wild caught or adults often. Carolina mantids are good size as adults - chinese mantids can get huge, especially females.

My ooths finally arrived today! and i had no clue you had to hang the eggs up to help the hatchling mantis’s hatch, but is there anyway to tell which way is the original way the egg was hatched? i’ve looked all over online but can’t find anything

 

[Beppo]

My ooths finally arrived today! and i had no clue you had to hang the eggs up to help the hatchling mantis’s hatch, but is there anyway to tell which way is the original way the egg was hatched? i’ve looked all over online but can’t find anything View attachment 352487

I have no idea I’m just super interested so I’m commenting to get notifications

 

[yungzerk]

I have no idea I’m just super interested so I’m commenting to get notifications

welcome i think it’s super interesting too! I didn’t realize mantis eggs were so complex and i’ve read that they have to be placed in a certain way and degree so gravity can help them wiggle their way out of the egg so hopefully i can find out

 

[MissSkittles]

welcome i think it’s super interesting too! I didn’t realize mantis eggs were so complex and i’ve read that they have to be placed in a certain way and degree so gravity can help them wiggle their way out of the egg so hopefully i can find out

I believe the flatter end is the top. That’s how I’ve oriented them and the babies had no problem emerging. Mine arrived the other day and I still need to put them in my enclosures.