# Live Plants for Mantis Enclosure



## Aryia (Jan 10, 2014)

Hi everyone~

I'm currently putting in live plants into my mantis enclosures. Are there any common plants that may be toxic or otherwise unsuitable for a mantis?

Currently I have several species of mosses and bonsai trees ready to be put in.


----------



## Ranitomeya (Jan 11, 2014)

Avoid using plants that you've purchased recently from a nursery--they may have been treated with insecticides that may get ingested by feeders or by the mantis when drinking water off the plants.

Mantids are insectivorous and won't eat plants directly.


----------



## Extrememantid (Jan 11, 2014)

I just use fake plants.. But I agree, make sure they aren't treated


----------



## Aryia (Jan 11, 2014)

Oh boy _._ that's a good point. Well... thankfully half of the bonsais are in dormant state so they don't have any leaves that could've been treated anyway.

Do you know how long a plant should sit before it's "pesticide-free" again in case it's been treated?

*Ok so I read that most pesticides are only effective up to 2 weeks on an article. I'll give the plants a good wash and add some crickets to the enclosures when they're ready and see what happens to the crickets before adding the mantises. (Sorry crickets!)


----------



## Rick (Jan 11, 2014)

I used to just buy those small tropicals from Lowes. Never had an issue.


----------



## d17oug18 (Jan 22, 2014)

Rick said:


> I used to just buy those small tropicals from Lowes. Never had an issue.


nice one, good idea, and those are like a buck a piece


----------



## Krissim Klaw (Jan 22, 2014)

Just be careful about newly aquired plants incase they have been treated. There have been a couple times users have lost mantises that way. =(


----------

