Mantis Man13
Well-known member
Any tips from Orchid mantis keepers I should know before getting my first Orchids? I am getting a male and female L2.
Finally Getting Orchids!
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Vlodek
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Mantis Man13
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Just wondering but how do I keep the humidity good for the Orchids because they are very sensitive to humidity for some reason. Also, how do I keep the male Orchid cool without killing him so it will grow slower so I can mate it?
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PlayingMantis
Well-known member
Well, what is your indoor humidity? For me, it's 60% in the summer, which means I don't need to spray my orchids very often. I only spray every 2-3 days with just a few droplets of water on the sides of the containers so they can drink. I found that spraying too much leads to more health issues. If your humidity is too low, say, 30%, then you need to spray more often or use a humidifier. But most importantly, keep up the ventilation. Make sure there's plenty of "breathing space" and air circulation, so any remaining water droplets dry out quickly enough and the air is not stale.
You can keep the male a few degrees cooler. I keep my males at 75F and females at 85F. I feed females every day until they're completely plump (though I'm probably overdoing it, you can get by with feeding every 2-3 days). I feed males less often. I let them eat enough so they have the proper nutrients, but they're not overly full.
However, be careful not to keep them too cold or starve them. Last winter, on my previous orchid generation, the males were kept at ~64 degrees and fed too little. I ended up losing a lot of males due to weakness. It was a bad mistake. I was lucky to have one male to continue the next generation. It is better to have well fed males that will grow strong and have greater fertility. Plus, a healthy, strong male can live a good 2-3 months.
You can keep the male a few degrees cooler. I keep my males at 75F and females at 85F. I feed females every day until they're completely plump (though I'm probably overdoing it, you can get by with feeding every 2-3 days). I feed males less often. I let them eat enough so they have the proper nutrients, but they're not overly full.
However, be careful not to keep them too cold or starve them. Last winter, on my previous orchid generation, the males were kept at ~64 degrees and fed too little. I ended up losing a lot of males due to weakness. It was a bad mistake. I was lucky to have one male to continue the next generation. It is better to have well fed males that will grow strong and have greater fertility. Plus, a healthy, strong male can live a good 2-3 months.
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