# pollen? Honey dust? What's this?



## Schloaty (Aug 10, 2007)

Hi all,

I've been reading some of these feeding threads. I see that some of you dip your feeders in honey dust and/or pollen.

Is this some perverse mantid dunkin' doughnuts?

I have to ask - why? Do the mantids require the pollen as part of their nutritional regiment? Or just in order for them to be interested in the prey?


----------



## Lientje (Aug 10, 2007)

I have a question. about this

I mix the pollen and leaves then in the same box some fruit flies. Is this

sufficient because I can see no substance on the fruit flies. Do they

have this then on them?

What do can I?


----------



## Rick (Aug 10, 2007)

I have tried this but see no difference. My adult bluebottle flies are fed honey though.


----------



## JT (Aug 11, 2007)

reason being, it's thought that part of a mantids diet includes , if not is solely made up of, pollenating insects, so it would stand to reason they injest quite a bit of pollen . pollen is a great protien and energy source (ask any natural medicine guy) and so is good to feed mantids, especially "Flower" mantids. Yen should be answering this. there's a thread on here somewhere about this and i believe Yen started it. (?)


----------



## yen_saw (Aug 13, 2007)

> I have to ask - why? Do the mantids require the pollen as part of their nutritional regiment? Or just in order for them to be interested in the prey?


Attach is the link for a study on using pollen as supplement for mantis

http://docserver.esa.catchword.org/deliver...5x/v32n4s22.pdf



> I mix the pollen and leaves then in the same box some fruit flies. Is this sufficient because I can see no substance on the fruit flies. Do they
> 
> have this then on them?
> 
> What do can I?


I poured the mixture onto a vial full of fruit flies, shake the vial (cap on obviously) before feeding it to the mantis, obviously not all the pollen will hang on to the flies but at least some will be eaten with the mixture, and the wingless fruit flies usually carry the pollen for a longer period of time.

Pollen/honey mixture is not a must in mantis diet, but rather a good supplement, you can read more (from the above link) on how the pollen benefits in prolong a mantis hatchling life without feeding fruit flies, generate same number of eggs with less food for adult female, gaining more mass on mantis with pollen supplement, etc.

JT, don't believe I started any thread on honey/pollen mix but i did put some pics of the mixture and mateirals somewhere to a reply, but i forgot where i place the pics?


----------

