# cement enclosure



## massaman (Oct 13, 2009)

I think I have a good plan for my ooth enclosure for the winter and all I needed was a cement cinder block with 2 cubby holes and set that on the ground and put some dirt for the floor on the bottom of the cubby holes and placed the ooths on top of the dirt and put a flat brick on top to cover the whole top of the cinder block and covering the two cubby holes and made it like a box and this does sound like a good plan being that it keeps animals out and protects them from the elements such as wind,rain and snow!


----------



## Rick (Oct 13, 2009)

Ooths are made to withstand the weather so that is a moot point. It will work but is overkill. If worried about animals you could just stick it in a net cage or other screened container.


----------



## ABbuggin (Oct 13, 2009)

^^^ I totally agree.


----------



## wero626 (Oct 17, 2009)

What is the purpose for this?Is it an experiment having them outside Massa Man to see if you can rear them from a ooth hatching outside??


----------



## massaman (Oct 17, 2009)

no this is to store them outside for the winter and its not a experiment and this is how I plan to keep them outside till spring!


----------



## d17oug18 (Oct 17, 2009)

i imagine theyll die because there are no air holes in your plan. Even though its an ooth it still needs to breathe. get a 5$ screen netting for windows at home depot(about 15' long) put the ooth in a little bit of it and tie the end of it, then get another piece of string and tie that to a tree or something. If your gonna go ghetto, do it that way ^_^ . gotta think about everything even things as simple as air flow and hymidity.


----------



## massaman (Oct 17, 2009)

actually its not air tight just its on to keep the animals and stuff off of it and had pill bugs roaming around in there and if they can roam around without smothering to death then there is no worry bout suffocation and its not a complete seal as the brick on top lays flat on the block but there is enough of a gap to let air in too and keep vermin out and it can get also air from underneath!


----------



## massaman (Oct 17, 2009)

there is a flaw with the idea of tying it to a tree in the netting and that would be that birds could think its food and peck at it and would prob destroy it in the process and my idea is as good as it gets!


----------



## cloud jaguar (Oct 17, 2009)

Why even bother asking for advice if you are going to do this lame experiment anyways? But, since you asked... the suggestions people have made are the best - your way will just create excess moisture. I think it is probably pretty safe to say that mantids generally do not crawl into cellars to lay oothecae - rather, they seem to lay them where they will be directly exposed to air, moisture, warmth, etc.

Crows - i know from experience that crows pluck off and eat oths that they can find. Crows walk around on the ground alot. Probably best to protect the ooth in a net as suggested or even wire screen.

For hatching oothecae outside my wife and I use a Coconut Oothecae Hatchery i made from the 1/2 coconut mouse homes they sell at petco. Basically we hot-glued 2 crossing sticks in there and put a hole in the center and hang off the ground about 1.5 feet above a plant. This way you can attach many ooths in there and they hatch out regularly when they are supposed to. They are saved from direct sun and rain but they get plenty of moisture, light, heat, air current, etc. Of course they were exposed to parasites and such but 4 out of 4 ooths hatched this way without any problem. I suppose you could crow proof it by attaching a circle of metal screen with staples to the bottom too.


----------



## d17oug18 (Oct 17, 2009)

Arkanis said:


> Why even bother asking for advice if you are going to do this lame experiment anyways? But, since you asked... the suggestions people have made are the best - your way will just create excess moisture. I think it is probably pretty safe to say that mantids generally do not crawl into cellars to lay oothecae - rather, they seem to lay them where they will be directly exposed to air, moisture, warmth, etc.Crows - i know from experience that crows pluck off and eat oths that they can find. Crows walk around on the ground alot. Probably best to protect the ooth in a net as suggested or even wire screen.
> 
> For hatching oothecae outside my wife and I use a Coconut Oothecae Hatchery i made from the 1/2 coconut mouse homes they sell at petco. Basically we hot-glued 2 crossing sticks in there and put a hole in the center and hang off the ground about 1.5 feet above a plant. This way you can attach many ooths in there and they hatch out regularly when they are supposed to. They are saved from direct sun and rain but they get plenty of moisture, light, heat, air current, etc. Of course they were exposed to parasites and such but 4 out of 4 ooths hatched this way without any problem. I suppose you could crow proof it by attaching a circle of metal screen with staples to the bottom too.


+1 on that. and other than hummingbirds, birds cannot hoover under the netting to just peck on ooths, they can fly and walk but without high winds they cant just hoover and peck at things.


----------



## kamakiri (Oct 19, 2009)

massaman said:


> ...my idea is as good as it gets!


 :lol: Wow. Paul, I think this is one of the worst ideas I've heard here. What you've described is a *crypt*. But please let us know how it goes if you do go through with this plan.


----------



## MantidLord (Oct 19, 2009)

What the heck is wrong with you?? You come up with ridiculous ideas that are completely foolish and non-beneficial to pretty much all of us. And to make it worst, you hardly ever listen to people's advice when they question you. It's really frustrating having to filter out stupid threads like this from interesting, informative threads. From now on, I might just skip threads started by you because this is just plain foolish. *and you guys talked about Agent A*.

Anyway, my rant is over. Good luck and sorry in advance for the ooths that will never hatch.


----------



## Rick (Oct 19, 2009)

I don't know. I just put them outside with nothing and have never had a problem.


----------



## massaman (Oct 19, 2009)

ok ok

so I put them in the fridge till I can think of something better!!


----------



## massaman (Oct 19, 2009)

ok ok got one of my smallest critter keepers and put paper towel on the bottom and took the ooths and put them on top and put another paper towel over them and going to mist them every other day and put the keeper in the fridge!


----------



## DeadInTheBasement (Oct 20, 2009)

another terrible idea. :hands cruched up slimy award to massaman:

when you put a body in a tomb.....IT MOLDS....

so id expect when you put an ooth in a tomb.....IT MOLDS....

but with some hobbyist there is that saying that some old crazy man from some horror movie says *"sometimes dead is better"* to kill your ooth is your choice...


----------

