# Metal or fabric screen?



## skinzfan72 (Sep 5, 2007)

I have read bits and pieces of this topic but never found it as a whole. :?: When should you use metal (aluminum) screen instead of fabric (vinyl, fiberglass, etc) :?: Be it mantids or feeder cages when is metal NECESSARY?


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## buddhistsoldier88 (Sep 5, 2007)

> I have read bits and pieces of this topic but never found it as a whole. :?: When should you use metal (aluminum) screen instead of fabric (vinyl, fiberglass, etc) :?: Be it mantids or feeder cages when is metal NECESSARY?


Dont think its a necessity , but mantids like to hang upside down from the screen...


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## Asa (Sep 6, 2007)

Metal is never really neccessary, just use fabric.


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 6, 2007)

In some of my houses, the crickets have ate thru the fiberglass screen, so if you are having crickets over for dinner, go with metal, it's a pain replacing them! :roll:


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## OGIGA (Sep 6, 2007)

I don't know how spread out the wires are but keep that in mind if you know you're going to have fruit flies in there.


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## Rick (Sep 6, 2007)

I never use metal and don't think you ever would need to.


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## Precious (Sep 8, 2007)

Coffee filters are awesome on jars and small enclosures. Clean, cheap and provide excellent air exchange.


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## bubforever (Sep 9, 2007)

I would think any time of fabric would be better than metal, it provides the best grip for the mantis. I used paper towels for mine.


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 9, 2007)

By metal, I ment aluminum screen, in the _Bugatorium_ pics I posted in the large container with the Europeans, in the top left cornor of one there is a 1/4" cricket hole. And one of my nympt containers has hole in lid. So I switch to aluminum cause they eat crickets a lot and I didn't want them to have heavy metal for din din :lol: (should of said fiberglass) but it wasn't as funny! :lol:


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## Precious (Sep 10, 2007)

I found something cool, though I'm sure I'm not the first. It is essentially plastic gridwork. Like a screen of fairly substantial, white screen. It is used for needlework or embroidery of some sort and comes in smallish sheets, squares, circles found in craft stores. It's awesome, so far. It keeps everything but melanogaster or hydei inside and is easily cut to fit different enclosures also easy to clean. My Unicorns are hanging from it just as they do metal screen or coffee filters. Nobody's moulted on it yet, but I think it'll be fine. Love it.


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## Wally (Sep 29, 2007)

actually, our chinese mantis chewed a hole through the plastic sheeting of her cage. She's now in an aquarium with a metal lid, and not very happy. I have sticks in there for her to hang upside down.


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## skinzfan72 (Oct 1, 2007)

hibiscusmile said:


> In some of my houses, the crickets have ate thru the fiberglass screen, so if you are having crickets over for dinner, go with metal, it's a pain replacing them! :roll:


Yes I use crix mainly and they have eaten through one screen on me. Screen replacement will give me something to do this winter I guess.


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## hibiscusmile (Oct 1, 2007)

:lol: Knew you would see it my way


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