I had to get a space heater for my room because it's so cold in here. I put in a thermometer yesterday and it was at 59 degrees F when it got dark and hit a high point of 65 degrees F during the afternoon. I know there are points where it drops below 59 in here too, as when I feel cold, it's probably pretty cold because I'm used to it. I didn't even realize it was that cold until I put in the thermometer. Hopefully, it hasn't adversely affected my oothecae or my nymphs in any way. I know my S. lineola nymphs have been growing incredibly slow. Does anyone know if being subjected to cold for such a lengthy period of time effects mantids in any negative way? I know it slows their metabolism and causes them to live longer, but does it harm their growth in any way? Also, it being very dry in my house, I will probably need to mist more often. Has anyone here had to resort to using a space heater, and if so, did you have to mist more often? I know I will have to mist more, but it seems a bit much to mist everyday. I mist every other day as it is, and by the time I mist the enclosure, the substrate is already bone dry. I am considering buying a hygrometer, as I really didn't expect to have much of a problem with humidity here. I am just worried about the mold issue.
Space Heater
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I'm using a space heater 24/7 in my bug room. I also have a humidifier (box on the floor type, like a piece of furniture) in there. At first, I turned up the humidifier to high, and was refilling it every day... and spraying the enclosures every day too, as I thought it would be super dry in there. But it was too much. The room got a musty smell the first week, so I turned the humidifier off for a few days, then down to a normal level.
I end up misting on average about every every other day, but sometimes go ahead and mist on consecutive days too. And there are occasional days I'll wait 2 days in between mistings. I'm still pretty much trying to figure out what is best too. I am giving special attention to keeping the B. mendica nymphs more dry, and not hardly spraying them at all now due to some deaths. And that has helped.
I end up misting on average about every every other day, but sometimes go ahead and mist on consecutive days too. And there are occasional days I'll wait 2 days in between mistings. I'm still pretty much trying to figure out what is best too. I am giving special attention to keeping the B. mendica nymphs more dry, and not hardly spraying them at all now due to some deaths. And that has helped.
The space heater has actually turned out to be a big help. It has a temperature setting so I can keep it just where I want it without it getting too hot or too cold in here. I do have to mist a bit more, but it doesn't bother me at all. Hopefully, my T. sinensis ooths will hatch now that they are being kept at 75-80 degrees. I really doubt they would've hatched while being subjected to a 60 degree average.
revmdn
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I keep my mantids next to the heat vent. But I don't blast the heat so I use a small space heater. I'm able to control the heat much better this way. My heat is dry air so I'll mist daily in the morning, and by the evening it's pretty dry. So, sometimes they get a little squirt at night. I clean the enclosures often so I don't have to worry about mold ( I hope that works.)
nasty bugger
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My mantis' are kept between 87 degrees and 72 degrees. I was heating my house soley with grow lights, the reason I got the matis' was for pest control in the garden in my living room, and the lights were keeping the house in the 80's, till it got cold this last week or so. I've turned the heater on while I was away to insure they were warm enough in case of a cold snap.
My first ootheca I hatched, with absolutely no experience or knowledge, the kids came out and hung from the ootheca that was lodged in a tomato plants crotch, under the tomato canopy, under a 600 watt hps lamp. They dried up and died, so I don't recomend leaving them outside a moisrure retaining container if you are going to put some kind of heat lamp around them. I used to keep them in the area of the garden, where the hps lamp is, but I've moved them into the kitchen under a 54 watt florescent light, and they seem to get enough heat from the connecting living room lights that are 'screened in' by white plastic sheets to reflect light back onto the garden.
I mist the jars at least once a day, and the t shirt I use as a screen several times a day to keep humidity up, since it's pretty dry here in phoenix.
Aside from my mantis that just molted yesterday acting awkward and sluggish, I was gone for 4 days and couldn't mist the jars, I've not noted any ill affects to my mantis' at these temps and under the humidity regimen I've used with them.
I do believe if I have to leave again that I will put them in the lit garden enclosure, with the humidifier that I bought for $2 at a yard sale, set on a timer. That should keep them humidified enough to stay healthy for shedding the skin in a molt situation.
My original plan, after the ootheca popped, was to put the mason jars in a fish aquarium with fish in it, for humidity, and a heater for the fish water, that would also keep the mantis' warm, but the jars weren't heavy enough, and seemed to work their way out from any weight I'd put on them and fall sideways almost drowning anything in the jars, and so that idea was scrapped.
If nothing else I can put them in my spare room closet with the humidifier for and extended stay out of town, but then I'd have to heat the closet too, since that room stays cool for my earthworms.
In short, my mantis' seem to be fine with heat from a warm grow light, but not directly in the light itself if it's a hot light. I do live in a relatively warm area compared to the rest of the country though.
My first ootheca I hatched, with absolutely no experience or knowledge, the kids came out and hung from the ootheca that was lodged in a tomato plants crotch, under the tomato canopy, under a 600 watt hps lamp. They dried up and died, so I don't recomend leaving them outside a moisrure retaining container if you are going to put some kind of heat lamp around them. I used to keep them in the area of the garden, where the hps lamp is, but I've moved them into the kitchen under a 54 watt florescent light, and they seem to get enough heat from the connecting living room lights that are 'screened in' by white plastic sheets to reflect light back onto the garden.
I mist the jars at least once a day, and the t shirt I use as a screen several times a day to keep humidity up, since it's pretty dry here in phoenix.
Aside from my mantis that just molted yesterday acting awkward and sluggish, I was gone for 4 days and couldn't mist the jars, I've not noted any ill affects to my mantis' at these temps and under the humidity regimen I've used with them.
I do believe if I have to leave again that I will put them in the lit garden enclosure, with the humidifier that I bought for $2 at a yard sale, set on a timer. That should keep them humidified enough to stay healthy for shedding the skin in a molt situation.
My original plan, after the ootheca popped, was to put the mason jars in a fish aquarium with fish in it, for humidity, and a heater for the fish water, that would also keep the mantis' warm, but the jars weren't heavy enough, and seemed to work their way out from any weight I'd put on them and fall sideways almost drowning anything in the jars, and so that idea was scrapped.
If nothing else I can put them in my spare room closet with the humidifier for and extended stay out of town, but then I'd have to heat the closet too, since that room stays cool for my earthworms.
In short, my mantis' seem to be fine with heat from a warm grow light, but not directly in the light itself if it's a hot light. I do live in a relatively warm area compared to the rest of the country though.
