As you guys already know im new at mantises and i got about 50-60 Chinese nymphs and i want to know in head of time what food should i give my mantids after L1, L2, and L3. i know house flies, crickets and moths but what is the best food that i can get in cultures and is reliable and easy to take care of?
Feeding advice
- Thread starter Nosr
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Only food in cultures I know of are the fruit flies,and they are only good for the chinese until maybe 3instar if that. There may be something else others use, but I dont know if anything, lot of help I am! 
Feed them whatever you feel they can handle. After fruit flies I generally go to bluebottle flies. These can be bought as maggots and kept in the fridge. You take some out and they will pupate into flies within a week. The maggots keep for weeks in the fridge before going bad. Once they outgrow those flies I go to crickets. Some people feed roaches too. They can generally eat things that are a quarter or up to half their size.
Crickets are good, they like them, so it is ok to use them too!
DeadInTheBasement
Well-known member
roaches are easy to raise yourself just throw them in a tank with some heat and food and watch them go! if you get a climbing species though you will need to rub some vaseline of the top of the tank walls to keep them from escaping!
Moosashi
Well-known member
you can feed your mantids moths you catch too, can't you? I remember someone saying they eat alot of moths at night in their natural habitats. On that note, if your yard has been sprinkled with pest control granules, how do you know if insects you catch are safe to try feeding to your mantids?
Mantida
Well-known member
If pesticides have been put in your yard, the insects you catch there won't be safe. At least, I wouldn't risk it.
