# Mantis feeder bottles



## dmina (Feb 26, 2015)

Hi guys... I wanted to share with you a feeding bottle I have been working on.. It is still in its prototype stage..
I am extremely excited how it works for me... and would love to find out what others think about it?

I wanted to share it with the people who understand the feeding process... My family don't understand my excitement of this bottle, I developed.. and just kind of snicker at me.

I wanted to show it to you, and get your feedback... I also have a few made up... Just in case any of you wanted to try it out... for more of an up close &amp; personal trail.

Right now I am calling it my friendly feeder??? Maybe some brain storming we could come up with something clever...
If it works out I would like to try and make these up in bulk... I would also like to find an easier &amp; cleaner way to add the screen...Eventually, I would like to get it molded to have the screened area as part of the bottle.. if the demand is big enough.
Here are some pics of my feeding bottle...























That is it...

The reason I put in the screen is for air circulation, and I can also spray a little water in the container to keep the feeder food hydrated... I also added 2 or 3 fly waiting wheels..I developed this mainly for crickets, so it would stop them from munching on each other while waiting to be put into the mantis container. I then tried it with the fruit flies to stop them from circling the bottle in record time, I noticed when I added the waiting wheels in... there was a lot less die off the next morning, after leaving them in there overnight.. I also can keep flies in there for a couple of days... For the mantis who are molting, I can feed them later in the day or even the next day. I do not have to go through refilling the bottle daily. You are also able to add as many flies as you want to each container at a time, and it is no problem to add an extra fly later if needed. It also helps with handling the flies, there is less chance of them flying out of container, you trying to catch them, to put them into the container, or catching them after they get free in the house. It saves a lot of time with that... I don't know how many times I have had 1/2 an hour of so trying to catch or kill the flies that I have been freed accidentally.

I also have put together 2 feeding video's to give you an idea of how easy it is to use. And how you can change your feeding time in half the time, it takes you to open and close all your containers.

http://youtu.be/UeBZWHB-SH8

Like I said before I have some extra made up for a low introductory (trial) price &amp; shipping...Anyone interested in trying one out pm me, I would be happy to send one to you and find out what you think after trying it.. comment on how much time &amp; work this bottle truly eliminates...

Thanks everyone for taking the time to read all this..(people who know me, know I tend to be a little wordy)
Thanks again, Denise


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## idologrl (Feb 26, 2015)

This is an awesome idea!!!


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## dmina (Feb 26, 2015)

I was told the video was not working... now I can't find the video's at all?


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## CosbyArt (Feb 27, 2015)

Good idea thanks for sharing Denise. I know it works well after making one when I talked to you.  



dmina said:


> I was told the video was not working... now I can't find the video's at all?


Strange they are not in your youtube account channel? The videos are loading fine for me now.


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## Introvertebrate (Feb 27, 2015)

I'd put the fly entrance at the bottom of the Mantis enclosure, so you don't have to turn the feeding bottle upside down. I'm sure you've noticed that flies (and most other insects) instinctively climb upwards.


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## dmina (Feb 27, 2015)

cool idea... but I have tried letting them go up naturally... and they do not do it... I have tried to refill bottles that way.. I hope it works for you... I would be interested in your results.


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## Introvertebrate (Feb 27, 2015)

How 'bout with a little persuasion, like you're doing? I figured it would be easier to coax the flies up than down. Flies are also attracted to light, so you could darken everything put the tip. With a transparent bottle, the flies think they could potentially escape in any direction.


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## jpusser510 (Apr 19, 2015)

I have tested Denise's Friendly Feeder bottle and it greatly reduces the time it takes me to feed my nymphs as I can squeeze the bottle and the flies fall into the cups through my feeder holes. I no longer have to lift the lid on my culture and shake a few flies into each cup. My banded flower mantis Mulan can even hang out on the tip and grab any that try to escape when the tip isnt stopped up but the flies dont seem to crawl up as was previously mentioned in this thread. I would call them rapid feeder bottles or fast feeder bottles as the d hydei flies can be squeezed into my nymph cups very quickly.


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## Vespertino (Apr 19, 2015)

That's a really clever feeding bottle! What a great idea Dmina! While my terrarium is empty I was trying to think of an easier way of feeding newly hatched nymphs without having to take the top off the enclosure and loose any little babies due to escape. I'd created a "feeding port" where I expected to drop in a funnel and shake in some wingless fruit flies, but your bottle idea is really great, and I think it will help make feeding much easier for so many people. Thank you very much for sharing that!


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## dmina (Apr 20, 2015)

Thank you so much... I am glad you like it... I got so tired of trying to catch all the escaped fruit flies... this made it so much easier on the both of us...LOL


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## MikhailsDinos (May 3, 2015)

This works very well . :clap: Smart thinking!


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## dmina (May 4, 2015)

Thank you... I am glad it works for you...


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## drotski (Jul 9, 2015)

I ordered 2 of these, and I am amazed at the time it saves, and the ease of use. I've used them for blue bottle flies and fruit flies. Thanks for this great little tool!


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## Deacon (Oct 27, 2015)

This looks like a great idea but how do you get the flies, especially BB flies into the bottle? I see you use a funnel but why don't the flies get away at that point? Maybe I just don't hatch the pupae in the proper container? (I have them in a small critter keeper and I have to put them in the fridge just to get a couple out---obviously not smart. If I up-ended the critter keeper into the funnel, all the unhatched pupae, the fly food, the water crystals, just everything would fall into the funnel.)

I guess I need a lesson on the best way to hatch the pupae? Can you tell me how you handle that part so it is then easy to get the flies into the funnel and bottle? Do you put the pupae in your bottle and let them hatch there?

Your answers have helped me so many previous times and I know that as one grandma to another you're going to give me an "aha" moment!

Thanks, Nancy


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## dmina (Oct 27, 2015)

I hatch my flies in a large deli cup... the flies seem to go to the top of the container, then I just swipe them into the funnel... You need to put the flies in the refrigerator to slow them down first... the funnel seems to confuse them a bit.. so they don't figure out how to go up the small hole for a while.

Hope that helps..


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## Deacon (Oct 28, 2015)

That all makes sense. I'll certainly try that next batch.

Thanks so much,

Nancy


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## dmina (Oct 28, 2015)

You are welcome...


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## ktha (Dec 3, 2015)

I like to order two of these, I PM you but did not reply


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## Savechanges (Dec 31, 2015)

look up a tool called a "pooter" on the net it is another great tool when feeding fruit flies to your mantids!!


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