Bump Just posting. Why does it always seem that when you post an inquire, your stuff arrives the next day? Just wondering about how long it takes for something to get from New York to Iowa via USPS. edit Dang I own Page 6?
[This message has been edited by DtheC (edited 03-09-2006).]
Ootheca has arrived, top of TV OK for temperature? Order Flies now? Pix to follow if I can figure how to post. thanks DtheC
Top of the tv may be a little too hot, it may dry them up. Order flies, ok, they should arrive and be well established by the time the little hungry hunfry mantids pop out. What type of enclose do you have? It should have plenty of little holes in it, and should allow you to mist them without lettin' em escape...
If the container is large enough, you can just take the top off the fly container, and put the container in the mantid one... just remember to get Wingless, FLIGHTLESS fruit flies!
It may take up to a month for the egg case to hatch, depending on the temperature.
Leave a wet sponge on the bottom of the tank, that will allow things to stay moist without having any puddles of water which would drown the mantids and flies...
Hopefully, eveyone received their Ooths, and stuck 'em in a decent container. In a few weeks, they should hatch out. Reply here when they do, I'll let you know when mine does...
Ok, I know I don't have any Air Holes drilled, the plastic is heavy duty, unsure of size, can't find small drill bits, too dang lazy. I'm opening this up about 4 times a day and blowing in fresh air, so I don't think the egg case is lacking O2.
What I have questions about is the "split' lookin thing in the middle, is it possible the lil guys and gals have already left? I'ts only been 2 weeks, so the big apprehension is leaveling off. I found a prety reasonable source of the fruit flies, $10 for a bottle shipped from Worm Mans Worm Farm. It took 10 days to get these, but maybe the were woried about the weather. I've been dumping flies in my aquariums and the fish are now real happy to see the lid open, if you know what I mean
[This message has been edited by DtheC (edited 04-01-2006).]
Got mine in the mail while I was out of town, I decided to put them in my 75 gallon fish tank that will one day, soon I hope, be a salt water tank. The little guys should have plenty of room to grow there, and hopefully they will resist the urge to kill one another, that was my problem with putting the last batch, the last tank was too small. My fault on that, I did not realise just how many would hatch from the egg, live and learn I guess.
The hole in the middle was probably caused by a bird , when the mantids hatch out, the OOTh doesn't really change the way it looks...
A 75 Gallon tank will be great for them, but they will probably still eat each other. Also, when you DO get down to only a few (or one) left, you may want to move it to a smaller tank, so it will be able to find its food. There a LOT of places for a cricket to hide in a 75 Gallon tank! Maybe you can stick the mantis in a shoe-box-sized tank when it's "feedin' time"
There are only a handful of mantis species that DON'T eat each other... One is the "Wandering Violin" mantis: [img]http://www.anolis.de/beratung/tiere/gongylus/gongylus-gongyloides.jpg[/im]
Pretty cool looking, but a little hard to care for because they eat flying insects and really don't run after their food at all, they just sit still.
[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 04-01-2006).]
Originally posted by FieroRumor: Would you mind sending me one of 'em?
I planned on it.
I was wondering if the ones up here would be diffrent than the ones that you find in NY. We have some of ours in a container next to the container with the ootheca that you sent us, so we could see if there was a diffrence.
I was wondering if the ones up here would be diffrent than the ones that you find in NY. We have some of ours in a container next to the container with the ootheca that you sent us, so we could see if there was a diffrence.
I'll post pics when they hatch.
Thanks man, it will be neat to grow 'em. They ARE around here, but not as common as the Chinese ones...
Here's a video clip of what yours will look like when they are adults. They are pretty energetic!
Keep in mind, that since Mantids don't live long when you harvest all the ooths out of an area you are essentially elimininating the population in that area. It would probably be better all around if you just removed a portion in a given area instead of all of them.
JazzMan
Last time I picked them, I only took one out of every 5-10 I saw. I didn't want to take too many for that exact reason that you mentioned. The last time I went there, they had gone in and cut down almost all of that stuff (There's plenty more, but it's behind a big ole fence.
Ok, Hope not, or you will have 600 little guys scalin' the walls! As long as the mes is as small as a screen door, you'll be ok. if the holes are any larger... D'oh!
A few of mine got out once. I discovered this when the automatic Mantis-escape alarm" contacted me via the phone...
"OMG What the Hell is crawling on my towel!?!?!?!"
Poor wife.
Speaking of which, I currently have 9 Ooths hanging in a container that they may be able to escape from...
I promised my wife" Ok, I won't hatch an Ooth again in the apartment"... An = ONE. (heh heh heh)
You'll know what happens if you don't see me here for awhile... my wife will have stuffed me in the trunk of the Formula and tossed me in the East River...
[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 04-12-2006).]
No lil' ones yet. I did take the ooth to the Central Iowa Fiero meet, last Sunday. I thought they might like to come out and take part in the festivities. Now, I don't know if I should feel insulted or what? Maybe if I misted them Miller High Life, or do Mantii have other preferences? I'm looking for Blue Collar Mantii, but if I have to buy a Wine Cooler or something.......?
If they are expecting single malt Scotch, I'll just let them find their own way in this world.
We have six little mantids running around from the ooth you sent my son. I will try and get some pictures of them tonight or tomorrow. All my kids want to keep at least one so we are looking for proper habitats for them. Thanks again Rumor.
We have six little mantids running around from the ooth you sent my son. I will try and get some pictures of them tonight or tomorrow. All my kids want to keep at least one so we are looking for proper habitats for them. Thanks again Rumor.
That's cool to hear.. post some pics if you get a chance!
Mine popped last week and I have about sixty running around now. If there any Canadians looking for a good supplier for feeders try this Canadian Feeders Rob is very knowlegeable and extremely helpful always willing to answer a question. Kevin
Maybe you can stick the mantis in a shoe-box-sized tank when it's "feedin' time" 
Those are NOT the type I find around here (chinese mantids) Those I think are European mantid Ootheca. 
