Rather then have a bunch of threads about the same topic (and so as to NOT tick off those who aren't interested in this) This will be the official thread for those PFFers that are going to try to keep some Mantids as pets, and for those who want to see how they make out.
First of all, Hope you have fun.
Ok, so you got a package in the mail and it had a few egg cases that look like this:
This is called an Ootheca. a closer look:
You should be able to tell which end is up - look at the branch it is attached to, and for the small lines going across horizontally. The baby mantids will come out of these slits.
Now, find a suitable hatching container. I find chinese soup containers do nicely (they are large enough and very cheap. Here is a decent sized tub with locking top:
Make a LOT of holes. About the size of this: o
Then, put something in the bottom to help soak up any excess moisture (some gravel,paper towel, etc) Try to line the bottom, but don't leave it in lazy folds, the mantis will get trapped in them. Now, put in some sort of perch or branches for the mantids to climb on. This provides them some cover (which calms them down) it keeps them from drowning on the bottom, and it allows them a place to hang when they molt. Here is an example of a decent enclosure, but it's too small for the "hatching tank" (I wouldn't put an Ooth in there and let it hatch):
There are many ways to hatch yer matids, but it is important not to just stick the egg case on the bottom of the tank. The newborns are soft, and need to hang until their exoskeletons harden.
Use some clear tape (making sure NO adhesive is exposed (the mantids WILL get stuck) or just stick then into a styrofoam block or other such material.
Spray the inside of the tank a few times every few days. This isn't nessessary, but you may not be there when they hatch out, and you want the environment to be at least a little moist.
When they DO hatch, you'll see little guys like THIS:
only you'll probably see a LOT more then what's in this pic...
So now, You have a million little mantids running aound. Now what? Well, First thing you hafta decide is how many Adult mantids do you want to end up with. If you just want one, Then there isn't much you need to do. The young mantids will happily run all over each other..till their bellies start to grumble. Then, they will turn to one of the others, and decide he/she looks pretty yummy. Harsh, but Life feeds on Life. If you would rather them have something else besides each other to munch on, you can order flightless fruitflies for about 4 bucks a vial. Each vial is good for about 6-8 weeks, and is very easy to deal with:
I recommend getting the flightless ones because you don't need fruit flies flying around your house. As they get larger, you can switch to pinhead crickets, then regular sized ones, and some different worms , if you want. They also may take food from your hand, but you may need to let them "taste" the food the first few times until they understand the deal.
Ok, so now, you feed your mantids, and mist their tank daily (making sure to avoid drowing them all) After awhile, you'll see them molting. This is a good thing. They will do this several times in their lives. As they get older, you can tell if they are male or female by two main ways: 1. The amount of body segments are different (I forget the exact amounts, I'll look that up tomorrow morning) 2. Males tend to freeze when they are scared, Females are more bold.
So, Say you want to end up with more then one adult? Well, make a few enclosures, and split the mantids up into them. If you are very daring, you can try to mate them (and no, the female does NOT always eat the males head, but she might if the enclose isn't large enough for the male to escape after they copulate. Mantids only mate after their final molt (when they get their wings).
Wings? Oh yeah, They grow wings. They rarely use them, but they can fly, so it's something to remember.
Here is a pic to show you how large they are when they are born:
That's a mantis sittin' on a quarter.
Handling mantids isn't too tough - allow them to climb on your hand, don't try to pick them up. You may find that yours is very tame, and lightly touching their antennae will cause them to reach for your finger, then climb aboard. Try not to drop them, they can get injured easily.
In time, the female will lay several Ootheca. She will get exhausted after these sessions, and may appear to be dying, but usually, they bouce back the next day.
Your mantid(s) may live six months to a year, depending on the situation.
That should sum up the basic stuff you will need to know. Please post pics here when your Ooths hatch, and share your experiences and observations with us.
Any Questions, post them here.
Have fun!
-FieroRumor
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[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 04-06-2005).]
Please let me know if/when you get your Oothecas in the mail. Then, post a pic of your enclosure(s). I'll start:
Here is my "Hatching enclosure" - It isn't pretty.
It started out as a large cheeseball snack container. I later cut a hole in the top, and connected a smaller container. The little buggers hatch out from the bottom, and make their way up to the top container, (disposable sandwich container) where I move 'em in a different one. Here a few other containers of various sizes. They were three for a buck. Not bad:
Easy to clean and stack up.
This one will be for when they get much larger: I may only keep one in here, or may split it in half, and keep a few.
Mantids need some space (enough to crawl around in and hang when they molt.) They will probably spend a lot of their time upside down.
A few odds n ends: Babies like to hop. An adult may wack you, but usually, they are very hungry, or you are bugging them. They tend to give ample warning that they are ticked off.
They really don't bite, unless you stick your finger IN their mouth. I never tried this, but I guess they would chomp on you.
They poop little hard black balls, not exactly much to worry about. I have yet to see one pee. ]
When feeding them crickets, only feed them one at a time. If you put a bunch in, they could eat the mantis! (especially if it is molting, or "asleep" A cricket can easily snap one of their rear legs in one munch.
Speaking of legs, they can regenerate their rear legs up to the last molt.
They have one ear, in the middle of their legs. They have two large eyes, and several smaller ones. The black dot that looks like pupils are actually where the optic nerves enter the eye. Their eyes turn dark at night, to help them see in the dark. They can turn their head over 180 degrees, thus, they can look over their shoulder. They can spot you from accross the room, and track you perfectly.
Another odd thing: If you see a wasp come out of an Ootheca (rare) let it go outside, or squish it. That is a parasitic wasp that laid its eggs in the Ootheca. Naughty wasp!
Just like people, mantids have different personalities. Treat them well, and you should have an enjoyable pet. Just remember, they like to climb up high. Manty used to like to hang out on top of my Yat Ming Fiero, or on top of my monitor. Mine used to eat chicken and veggies, and would drink from a straw. They seem to understand that you aren't a threat, and don't want to eat them, so they will soom get into a routine where they find their favorit perches Shoulder and top of head are their favorites, but I'm not too keen on the head part...
Ok, I've blabbed enough. Post pics when you get your packages in the mail.
-FR
[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 02-18-2005).]
lol, well I read everything! hehehe nice pics, any pictures of a fully grown mantis on your head or shoulder? Seems like an interesting thing to see Keep them coming, I am finding this rather interesting!
"Another odd thing: If you see a wasp come out of an Ootheca (rare) let it go outside, or squish it. That is a parasitic wasp that laid its eggs in the Ootheca. Naughty wasp!"
You mean squash the wasp, or the whole egg case? Probably all the mantids would be dead, eh?
You mean squash the wasp, or the whole egg case? Probably all the mantids would be dead, eh?
Just the wasp. (if the mantids don't EAT it (the wasp is small, and would normally fly the heck away when it hatched...) Most of the baby mantids will be ok, the wasp larvae doesn't eat all the babies, just a few, and uses the Ooth to survive the winter.
I'd be surprised if any of you actually have this happen.
[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 02-18-2005).]
lol, well I read everything! hehehe nice pics, any pictures of a fully grown mantis on your head or shoulder? Seems like an interesting thing to see Keep them coming, I am finding this rather interesting!
Well I got my package today and much thanks, I owe you a dollar twenty-nine. I got a big thing to put them in do I put all the egg cases in one or try and seperate them?
Well I got my package today and much thanks, I owe you a dollar twenty-nine. I got a big thing to put them in do I put all the egg cases in one or try and seperate them?
How many do you have? I put them all in one, and then, they started hatching... YIPES! MANY MANY MANY MANY mantiseseses came out. If you put one Ootheca in each container, you'll end up with one large mantis per container.
My wife was ok with them until today, when she "discovered" a few of the mantids that had escaped... I promised her I'd only have one container... You might want to use one container to hatch them all, then transfer 'em to another container.. the easiest way to do it is to set up the hatching tank with the ootecha a few inches off the ground, have a little paper towel on the bottom so they don't drown when you LIGHTLY spray them...and then have one or two tall sticks in there. When you want to transfer 'em, just bring the other container near, thenhold a stick up to the top of the branch in the hatch tank, and one will climb aboard.
E-GAD, ANOTHER one just hatched!!! I JUST cleaned out the hatch tank, and now, there are 200+ white babies running around. *smacks his head*
Next time, I'll hatch 2-4 egg cases... YEEESH!
I'll plop them in the tank after they harden up a bit...(when they are white, they are very squishy, and larger then when they harden...
[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 04-06-2005).]
Hey... I just bumped an old thread I liked of yours in GFC... and posted the same over there. Thanks again man... this is way cool.
Rumor... you are awesome!
I got the Oothecala's (sp?) you sent me today.
If we get a chance to meet... beer, or soda, or cigar is on me!
I am trying to convince my wife right now that this is a good bug (she still remains unconvinced about spiders...)... and that we NEED these little guys in our yard, garden, and home. I showed her the pics in this thread... and then seh saw the pic of your bloody finger in another thread... Well, let's just say she is not real enthusiastic about the egg sacs just sitting on the bed right now.
You got me scrambling to look for a container! All my egg cases are intact, and I appreciate the time and effort you took to send them to me. I would pos ya... but that already happened long ago in a bouncing thingie thread...
Um..er..chiggers...Ew. (I thought they were mite-like critters, and so, went to google images..and saw a few other.."interesting pics"... EW.
There are some people that let mantis loose in their homes,in some parts of the world. They eat whatever bugs that may be around. There aren't really any bugs in our apt, (other then the mantids) so they stay in their little container.
Mantids ARE good to have in your garden. they look scary, but are totally harmless. That "finger" pic of mine was fake. I never got bitten by a mantis.
Good luck with yours, take a pic when they hatch, and post your progress.
Just got mine in the mail yestiddy. I'm really looking forward to hatching some of these. I'll put some of the cases out in our meadows, and hatch one inside just to see them grow, then when it gets warm I'll release the captive ones in our woods. Hopefully next winter I'll find some of these egg cases and can send some of them out. Thanks Rumor, this is gonna be fun.
Mine hatched yesterday, well one pod did, so i went out and got a 10 Gal tank to keep them in untill they get bigger. I was hopeing for atleast another month before they hatched so when they all got too big for the tank I could let them go and not worry about the weather. I need something to get rid of the insects near my house, my block can almost qualify as a swamp.
how many ears does a mantis have (yes they can hear )
Most have one, in between their legs. They are basically deaf, the ears are "tuned" to hear bat's ecolocative chirps. When they hear that, they do a wicked nosedive...
OH10fiero , Glad to hear yours hatched...sorry they hatched out early.
here's mine right now. nothing hatched yet. i just used a plactic candy jar for now to hatch them in. sorry i didn't get a pic when they got here. i was worried about the warm weather here starting them hatching in the envelpope so i rushed to get them contained. Thank you for sending these. My daughter can't understand why i got a stick in the mail.....she'll soon see!
here's mine right now. nothing hatched yet. i just used a plactic candy jar for now to hatch them in. sorry i didn't get a pic when they got here. i was worried about the warm weather here starting them hatching in the envelpope so i rushed to get them contained. Thank you for sending these. My daughter can't understand why i got a stick in the mail.....she'll soon see!
That looks good, size-wise. It has enough stuff for them to cling on, and seems large enough. Are those air holes poked into the side? The bottom seems a bit wet, don't mist in there for a few days, and when ya domist, try not to SOAK the bottom. One of my containers had towel on the bottom like that, and the babies get stuck on the damp towel. If possible, get another one of those containers, and set it up the same way. at some point after they hatch, you can move some or all of the little bugs into a new container.
How? Get a stick and a few plastic disposable cups. Put the two containers near each other, then open both containers . Let one baby climb on the stick, then bring it to the new container, and tap the stick on the top. He should plop right in. What are the cup for? For the ones that hop off the stick before you get them to the new container. When you want to get those naughty guys into the new container, just put the stick in front of them, most will climb right aboard.
The reason why I suggest a second container is that if you end up with a lot of dead babies in the bottom of the tank, it may start to smell. Mold or mildew or other such yuckiness might grow too. Dead bugs and wet napkin is a gross combination.
I'll be posting something later on today that I think your daughter might enjoy. I'll PM ya about it when I post it...
thanks for the info. the top lid is full of little holes i drilled. do i need some in the sides too? i 'll pull out the papertowel and put in one a little less wet. better to do it now before they start climbing out. i've got an aquarium ready to go when they do hatch. i know i won't be able to keep all of them but a few would be cool. i'll just use plexi dividers to keep them separated.
i think i sent that PM a long time ago... when i got Manty's last dieing batch of eggs, you said youd send me a newer one..... no biggie, just if u had spare time.... (not gettin mad or nothin, just want to take over the world is all...)
Why hatch them at all ???? I cather mine from my four acre yard each fall and scatter them out........they will hatch in the spring and eat the harmful insects..... That is why I wanted these so much.................for genetic diversity....but mine never came in the mail
Awww.... you gave some to revin too? Man, I don't wanna be like him. Now I am not special anymore... Anyway, I am not a Daddy yet either.
RUMOR, I do have a Q for ya: I am having a bit of trouble locating the fruit flies... Will the little guys eat already dead bugs... example... dead gnats or ants? The pet store tried to sell me meal worms and little crickets, but those are even bigger than the young mantid pics you posted!
Do a search for "Flightless fruit flies" there are a bunch of different companies. Get the LARGER ones. Dang, my mantids are REALLY chowin' down on 'em... If you buy them before the mantids hatch, you can just open the vial and leave it in the tank...or keep it outside, and just feed a few at a time...
Awww.... you gave some to revin too? Man, I don't wanna be like him. Now I am not special anymore... Anyway, I am not a Daddy yet either.
RUMOR, I do have a Q for ya: I am having a bit of trouble locating the fruit flies... Will the little guys eat already dead bugs... example... dead gnats or ants? The pet store tried to sell me meal worms and little crickets, but those are even bigger than the young mantid pics you posted!
Blakeinspace got some too !!!! aw man I was gonna toss some in his car at the next rally Maybe try to give Blake a "leg up" on the races........Or should I say ..somebody to give an extra set of praying hands!
They came out overnight. He he They are kinda funny to watch run around. So should I start feeding them right away? There are a ton of them in there. Thanks, Mark
Nevermind.... I reread your above posts. I'm kinda excited now. I've been wanting some pets for a while now. I need to borrow my friend's camera to take a few pics.
[This message has been edited by Dough19 (edited 03-02-2005).]
They tend to start eating the day after they hatch, but they WILL grab and possibly eat the fruitflies the same day they hatch. Not sure if you noticed, but they shrink a bit after they dry out They Will start munching on each other after about three days or so. They should begin to molt after two weeks. Once you get a few larger ones, the rest will soon become their meal. To judge what they should eat, look at their front claws. if it can grab it in 'em, it'll do so.
Remember, you don't need to feed them fruitflies, they WILL eat each other. and don't just dump a ton of crickets in there, they WILL eat the mantids (especially when they are hanging upside down molting) If you toss in a small lettace leaf or other veggie with the cricket(s), they may leave the mantids alone. When your one or two surviving mantids are larger, you don't need to worry about doing the "lettace" thing. They won't be around for long...
I have 15 of the buggers left. One is BIG, so I moved him to a different enclosure.
Even HE is too scared of crickets still (I bought a few "pinhead" crickets to see what would happen) Once he gets a little bigger, he'll start munching away.
Can't wait to see your pics!
[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 05-14-2005).]
Keep them coming, I am finding this rather interesting!
I never got bitten by a mantis.
If possible, get another one of those containers, and set it up the same way. at some point after they hatch, you can move some or all of the little bugs into a new container.
!!!! aw man I was gonna toss some in his car at the next rally 
