# Ghost Mantis L5 Feeding problem



## Wildworldnick (Dec 18, 2019)

Hello!

About 2 days ago, my L4 molted  into an L5 and is no longer interested or activity trying to catch the fruit flies I put in, I have been activity searching on what to feed the mantis now, seems that house flies and blue bottles are popular options according to some haste research, but that’s not really an option in the cold climate of where I live (Northern Ireland) 

Does anyone  have any suggestions or links on where I can buy the live food?  Quite worried that my mantis will starve.

thanks in advance!

Nick


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## Budwing (Dec 18, 2019)

Smallexoticfarm.ie has small pallid roaches. He might even have green bottle casters. I know he cultures greenbottles. I have pallid also their good for feeding to ghost mantis and other small mantis. Easy to build a colony of them as they breed quick at lower temperatures.


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## Budwing (Dec 18, 2019)

L4 ghosts would still be too small to take green bottle flies. The pallids are good as they range from 0.2mm to 7mm. I have a large colony and that’s what I feed my ghosts when they get bigger. L4 ghosts should also be able for small crickets.


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## Wildworldnick (Dec 18, 2019)

Hey Budwig

thanks for the reply! I made a small typo in my post, I said my L4 molted, so it’s now an L5, apologies about that.

ill still look at that link but! Thanks much!


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## Budwing (Dec 18, 2019)

No worries I do it all the time. The mans name is Ivan. Tell him I put you onto to him. He’s got a serious amount of feeders and mantis. In fact he’s the only person I know that cultures flies in Ireland. Il be culturing Curleywings soon enough but I don’t have any at the moment.


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## Wildworldnick (Dec 18, 2019)

Don’t think he’ll be posting to the 1st again, unfortunate


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## Budwing (Dec 19, 2019)

Aye bad time of year for getting anything posted. If you can’t get small crickets from a pet shop the only feeder that will be around are spiders. It’s been mild enough here. Check around the doors and windows of the house and they will be sitting with eggcases this time of year.  Just look for the small white or yellow blobs, the spiders will be close by.


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## Teamonger (Dec 19, 2019)

With some patience you could always try meal worms. Surely they should be easy enough to come by? You may have to cut the worm and patiently work to stick the gooey end up to the ghosts mouth to get them to realize its food. 

I do this with my violins and its a pain in the butt but will work if you can keep calm and cool and not get frustrated.


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## Introvertebrate (Dec 19, 2019)

In a pinch you could even fake it out with a little piece of cooked fish, meat, egg, etc.


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## hibiscusmile (Dec 22, 2019)

Ghost can handle green bottle flies easily.


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## Budwing (Dec 22, 2019)

I mis-read the post. I thought the mantis was L4 which would have been just too small yet to tackle a green bottle.


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