# Moth



## yen_saw (Dec 13, 2007)

Have several requests regarding feeding moth to mantis, so here sharing the way i prepare the food (moth). I don't use moth as staple food but just to add the variety.

Actually Chuck did most of the work by rearing the waxworm to cocoon (sp?) and have everything in one large sheet (you can buy them from www.spiderpharm.com) full of cocoon, then i cut it down to several smaller pieces and drop the smaller sheets into each mantis cage, wait for it to pupate. Sometimes, waxworm may escape from the cocoon .... ekkkkkk. Yep that's it, simple eh :lol:


----------



## Andrew (Dec 13, 2007)

Pretty cool...I had no idea spiderpharm sold waxworm pupa! Can you post or send me a link to the page to order them? I wouldn't mind adding some on to my next housefly order.


----------



## Mantida (Dec 13, 2007)

Is that cardboard or bee honey comb?

Looks like cardboard, but seems iffy.


----------



## yen_saw (Dec 17, 2007)

@ Andrew: don't think he has the moth cacoon posted up on the webpage. Actually his wife Anita is the one that breed moth, not Chuck. You can call him or talk to his wife for the moth cacoon order. The telephone number is on his spiderpharm webpage. I have ordered them 3-4 times before, very good hatching rate. But try not to let them escape as the moth can fly very well  

@Nola: Not sure but i think it is cardboard. The sheet is rolled up and placed in the mesh screen bag when i received them.


----------



## Malnra (Dec 17, 2007)

How long from arrival to hatching into moth's ?


----------



## macro junkie (Dec 17, 2007)

can i get these shiped to uk?cheack your pm box buddie


----------



## yen_saw (Dec 17, 2007)

Geoff_K said:


> How long from arrival to hatching into moth's ?


Most hatched out within a week.



macro junkie said:


> can i get these shiped to uk?cheack your pm box buddie


Don't think that's a good idea now in winter, are you sure there is none in UK?


----------



## macro junkie (Dec 18, 2007)

yen_saw said:


> Most hatched out within a week. Don't think that's a good idea now in winter, are you sure there is none in UK?


i havent looked..and thinking about it now i might be mroe hastle tha its worth..flys are bad enough..lol


----------



## king_frog (Dec 18, 2007)

Can't i do it half assed? buy a box of waxworms from the local shop and leave them to do their 'buisness'.


----------



## yen_saw (Dec 19, 2007)

Yes it is the same thing. Live waxworm is more sensative to temperature than the cacoon. high casualty rate is expected if they grubs are kept higher than 85F. Keep them around 70-75F, and let them turn into pupa in saw dust, and you can feed them to your mantis once it has pupated into moth.


----------



## Kruszakus (Dec 19, 2007)

Oh unhappy me! I bought one waxmoth colony with parasitic wasps in it! Now all I have is zounds of those those little tricksters and only from time to time a waxmoth emegres from the pupa...

Anyone dealth with the same problem?


----------



## hibiscusmile (Dec 19, 2007)

:angry: no not me, I haven't even got to try them yet.

Yen,  I called and he said she was not ready to sell them yet.


----------



## yen_saw (Dec 20, 2007)

Oh? Maybe she is waiting for a new batch to turn into cacoon, or i have bought them all


----------



## hibiscusmile (Dec 20, 2007)

&lt;_&lt; Yea that's more like it!


----------



## Kruszakus (Dec 20, 2007)

Joanna bought giant waxmoths - if you could only see the size of the larva itself! I was an adult - three time of the size of a large house fly - this could be just the thing for large mantids like some empusidae.


----------



## hibiscusmile (Dec 21, 2007)

I tried to get mine to moths, only one or two made it, maybe I shouldn't of gave up so easily, but they are sooooooo ugly


----------



## yen_saw (Dec 21, 2007)

Yes Becky, the hatching rate from waxworm in the shop is unpredictable. Mainly because they have been in the fridge for a long time so most of the waxworm use up the reserve fat in the cold and don't do well turning into pupa. and the smells is horrible too when they die. THe worms from Chuck are huge! Got to ask Chuck to mass produce these nice "treats" for mantis.


----------



## yen_saw (Jan 21, 2008)

Becky, thought i would let you know there are more waxworm cacoon now from Chuck, he sent me just the cacoon (with some waxworm) this time, easier to handle IMO.






One moth appear to pupate sooner than other, so i am not wasting it  






Early bird gets the worm, and the early moth gets to be eaten!!


----------



## Giosan (Jan 22, 2008)

Can these be shipped to the Netherlands? I'm quite interested in moths.. Don't know if the waxworms I have will survive or turn into moths soon..


----------



## macro junkie (Jan 22, 2008)

i would love to macro a moth


----------



## hibiscusmile (Jan 22, 2008)

WoW that is good, I tried to get him to send me some, but he likes you better. No he said that it is an experiment they are working on, and that's all I need right? One more mouth to feed and my hubby will leave :lol:


----------

