# chinese



## nebrakacinese (Jan 7, 2011)

Noticed this morning that my remaing chinese subadults have fece's smear on the side of their enclosure.I feed them crickets that are gut loaded with a brand called lukers.Just trying to figure this out as I don't want to lose any more Thank.


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## hibiscusmile (Jan 7, 2011)

Probably not, but you never know what affects them, how old are they? this happens sometimes, and never does seem to clear up.


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## nebrakacinese (Jan 7, 2011)

They hatched on Nov. 5th.The ones that had died were healthy for the whole time, then went downhill.


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## hibiscusmile (Jan 7, 2011)

Well as hard as that is, this is not to uncommon in the chinese mantis. I wonder sometimes if it is because of them being raised in captivity?


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## nebrakacinese (Jan 7, 2011)

Thank you that does help as I was kinda feeling like I had failed.


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## hibiscusmile (Jan 7, 2011)

No, they are hard species, I have raised hundreds, but not without big loses, it seems the ones I let loose outside do better than living with their adoptive mama! Once they get closer to adult they do better, it's just getting them there that is hard.


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## nebrakacinese (Jan 8, 2011)

I have 2 females and 1 male left I'm hoping against hope.My ghost nymps and gambians are doing well.Yesterday i got an humiditfier put in my mantid room,I can tell the difference in my hygrometers already.Hope against hope


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## hibiscusmile (Jan 8, 2011)

Well I hope that works, I had to turn one on this week too with all the heaters on, it is dry air. cough, cough


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## nebrakacinese (Jan 8, 2011)

Yes our favorite time of year is here;snow ,cold,and can't go catch no Bugs.


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## Krissim Klaw (Jan 9, 2011)

I swear, despite what the experts say, natural sunlight does this species well. If all you are feeding is crickets I would also suggest perhaps spicing their diet up with some flies, roaches, or meal worms since you can't catch any wild bugs now where you are.


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## dgerndt (Jan 10, 2011)

Krissim Klaw said:


> *I swear, despite what the experts say, natural sunlight does this species well.* If all you are feeding is crickets I would also suggest perhaps spicing their diet up with some flies, roaches, or meal worms since you can't catch any wild bugs now where you are.


I agree 120%! I have my mantids in my room where they get tons of natural sunlight through a giant window. I keep the blinds open all day and I also keep warming lights by their cages. I haven't had a death since L1 in my Chinese! *knocks on wood* I have one left out of the four I started with, and he's now L5.


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## Domanating (Jan 10, 2011)

Deby said:


> I agree 120%! I have my mantids in my room where they get tons of natural sunlight through a giant window. I keep the blinds open all day and I also keep warming lights by their cages. I haven't had a death since L1 in my Chinese! *knocks on wood* I have one left out of the four I started with, and he's now L5.


I double that %. The mantid's best friend is the the sun. Where i live, sunlight during late autumn and winter is poor. It's always cloudy, foggy or rainy. Without sun my mantids look very quiet and slow, somewhat like depressed. But when there's a sunny day they'll enjoy it until the last second. They immediately position themselves for maximum sunlight capture and become much more active. The sun is a natural healer. keep it that way.


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## nebrakacinese (Jan 12, 2011)

Here in nebraska we had the usual wet spring,then come summer,it rained 40some days in a row but we did have alot of sun.We had alot of mantids too.Too bad I didn't get into it till Sept.


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## dgerndt (Jan 14, 2011)

chinese ne said:


> Here in nebraska we had the usual wet spring,then come summer,it rained 40some days in a row but we did have alot of sun.We had alot of mantids too.Too bad I didn't get into it till Sept.


That's about when I got into mantids, too. I'm going to be looking for mantids all summer this next year, though.


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## nebrakacinese (Jan 14, 2011)

It's going to be cool HUH Deby.


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## sporeworld (Jan 15, 2011)

Yea on the humidifier! I left one of my guages out on my desk (accidentally) for a few days... when I checked, it was LESS than 10%!!! I mean, like, almost zero!!! All my enclosures are 60% (artificially), but I had no idea it was THAT dry where us people lived! I feel my skin C-c-c-racKing just thinking about it!


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## dgerndt (Jan 15, 2011)

@Chinese ne: It sure is! I'm going to be outside every day looking for these awesome little buggers!

@Sporeworld: I know! I have to put lotion on my hands all the time! It's a good thing I have mostly Egyptian mantids, as it's hard to keep humidity at anything above 20% for more than a few hours in my room.


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## nebrakacinese (Jan 23, 2011)

Yea I like to go to the trail and the woods anyhow now I got an excuse.


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