# how to store ootheca to hatch



## 1laguy (Jun 6, 2008)

so i bought a bunch of ladybugs to protect my vegetable plants..theyve all flown away. now i have an ootheca egg case..but it says it can take 6 to 8 weeks to hatch?

i have them in a very small paper bag taped to the wall outside of apt where it gets direct sunlight...

is this the right way?


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## mrblue (Jun 6, 2008)

1laguy said:


> so i bought a bunch of ladybugs to protect my vegetable plants..theyve all flown away. now i have an ootheca egg case..but it says it can take 6 to 8 weeks to hatch?i have them in a very small paper bag taped to the wall outside of apt where it gets direct sunlight...
> 
> is this the right way?


direct sunlight in summer does not sound like a good idea at all. if i were you i would put it somewhere more shaded and sheltered. also i don't think the paper bag is necessary.


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## Rick (Jun 6, 2008)

Attach it in your garden to a plant or whatever and let nature take its course. I does not need shelter or anything so remove the bag. This time of year I would think they have already hatched in most places so it should hatch any time now.


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## 1laguy (Jun 7, 2008)

I am living in kansas and it gets REALLY windy so I am scared to just leave the ootheca out on its own anywhere..plus cant birds get to it then?

I just found some new jumping insects of some kind in my garden...I really could use some mantids now...anyone have a couple they could hook me up with?


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## Rick (Jun 7, 2008)

1laguy said:


> I am living in kansas and it gets REALLY windy so I am scared to just leave the ootheca out on its own anywhere..plus cant birds get to it then?I just found some new jumping insects of some kind in my garden...I really could use some mantids now...anyone have a couple they could hook me up with?


Well what do you think they do naturally? Birds don't really mess with them. Be advised though that unless you have tons of feeder insects in your garden most mantids will not survive. Many die soon after hatching anyways.


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## 1laguy (Jun 7, 2008)

here are 2 pics of it....there is a hole and an opening in it already..is that bad?

how would you attach it to a plant? could i just leave it outside in this tupperware?

also, should I spray it with water at all?


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## Rick (Jun 8, 2008)

Hard to tell from those pics. You can't just let it stay loose in a container like that. You have those where you live so just put it outdoors and leave it and nature will take its course. There are many ways to attach it in your garden to a plant or even a stake. You can use a drop of glue from a hot glue gun, or you could use needle and thread or even very thin wire. If you pierce it with anything make sure it is in the foamy part on the back. The back is the part that looks like it was attached to something. Here is a pic to help you orientate it and figure out how it goes. There really is not anything special you have to do.


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## Orin (Jun 8, 2008)

The hole looks like an emergence hole from a dermestid type beetle, not a good sign.


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## desana (Jun 8, 2008)

not a good sign ive just had a peacock ooth with a hole like that in it been in incubation for 7wks cut into the top last night absoloutly nothing inside it very angry..................


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## 1laguy (Jun 8, 2008)

Rick said:


> Hard to tell from those pics. You can't just let it stay loose in a container like that. You have those where you live so just put it outdoors and leave it and nature will take its course. There are many ways to attach it in your garden to a plant or even a stake. You can use a drop of glue from a hot glue gun, or you could use needle and thread or even very thin wire. If you pierce it with anything make sure it is in the foamy part on the back. The back is the part that looks like it was attached to something. Here is a pic to help you orientate it and figure out how it goes. There really is not anything special you have to do.


why can't you just let it stay loose in a container like that?


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## mrblue (Jun 8, 2008)

1laguy said:


> why can't you just let it stay loose in a container like that?


search the forum or google and youll find plenty of photos of ootheca hatching which should show why not. mantids usually hatch by descending from the ootheca on tiny threads , so they need some space below the "exit hole(s)" to descend and emerge. if it is just loose like this it could cause the mantids difficulties in emerging.


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## B-mantis999 (Jun 10, 2008)

I've got a queation. After they hatch, decend and take on their exoskelaton, should I seperate them if I want to keep some of them in captivity? And if so how many should i have in X-amount of square feet and how big should i let them get before seperating them further? I plan on keeping four in two ten gallon aquariums set up for them and releasing the rest into my garden but I want four healthy mantids before I release the other ones. Any suggestions?


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## Rick (Jun 10, 2008)

1laguy said:


> why can't you just let it stay loose in a container like that?


You can. When I said loose in a container I mean't like sitting loose on the bottom and not suspended.


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## Rick (Jun 10, 2008)

B-mantis999 said:


> I've got a queation. After they hatch, decend and take on their exoskelaton, should I seperate them if I want to keep some of them in captivity? And if so how many should i have in X-amount of square feet and how big should i let them get before seperating them further? I plan on keeping four in two ten gallon aquariums set up for them and releasing the rest into my garden but I want four healthy mantids before I release the other ones. Any suggestions?


Try the search feature. I prefer to keep them all together in a 5 or ten gallon tank or large net cage until they have molted a few times. Most of them are going to die no matter what. Separating them when you have 100+ is going to be difficult. I let them molt a few times before separating them that way I have a number I can manage.


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