# Gutload?



## awesomebillfromdawsonvill

I keep seeing reference to "gutloading" a crickit or mantis. Im a little new, so im not to sure what this means. i also see feeding pics that look as if the feeder animal has been covered in somthing, is this gut load? What is the substance on these feeders, what are the benefits of this?


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## Rick

It means you feed the cricket or food item well, which in turn passes on to the animal that eats it. Sometimes you see a product called gutload for crickets. But you just feed them really good and that passes on to the mantis.


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## awesomebillfromdawsonvill

Ok, thanks for the heads up. But what about the feeding pics where the feeder looks dusted mybe? am i just crazy?


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## Peekaboo

Nope you're not crazy. Some people like to dust their feeders with calcium powder, before feeding it to their herps. A good gut load is all that's necessary for mantids though.


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## yen_saw

I also dust the blue bottle and house flies with mixture of crushed honey powder and bee pollen. It is plenty of work but this method have been working out great especially on flower type mantis like Orchid mantis. This might get too elaborate but i had many questions regarding mantid food from other breeders so this is a good topic for me to share the info.

Bee pollen (pellet forms)







Arizona wild cactus honey powder






Tool in crushing the pellets together






Mixture






Then dumped in the flies (gut-loaded with honey water) from fridge and shake the container with flies and the powder mixture. Then it is served.......yummy! yes it is lot of work but your hardwork will be rewarded with some good looking mantis.






Also wild caught honey bee carries all those goodies too so feed those to your mantis whnever possible. Hope this help.


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## Rick

Kinda going on what yen said I feed my bluebottle flies unprocessed honey. It's called Really Raw Honey.


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## OGIGA

I'm just wondering, does the bee pollen give some people allergies?


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## yen_saw

Yes some people are allergic to all kinds of pollen. However, pollen is definately good for mantis. Here is a link i received from Isis which has some great info about pollen vs mantis healthy/mortality rate. Thanks Isis!

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


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## Peekaboo

> I'm just wondering, does the bee pollen give some people allergies?


Sort of related .... I hear that if you have a teaspoon of honey each day, made by bees in your local area, that it will help alleviate allergies. Provided that the honey is raw.


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## OGIGA

> Yes some people are allergic to all kinds of pollen. However, pollen is definately good for mantis. Here is a link i received from Isis which has some great info about pollen vs mantis healthy/mortality rate. Thanks Isis!http://docserver.esa.catchword.org/deliver...5x/v32n4s22.pdf


Okay, then I guess I'm staying away from the pollen.



> Sort of related .... I hear that if you have a teaspoon of honey each day, made by bees in your local area, that it will help alleviate allergies. Provided that the honey is raw.


Good point. I think I tried that before when I was little and it didn't work. Maybe I didn't eat enough each day, but I wouldn't mind trying again. Allergy season is just around the corner!


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## Sparky

Do all mantids need this or just certain species?


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## Asa

No mantids need this, but it would help with their diet.


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## spawn

Yen, are these products (the pollen and honey powders) available at petstores, warehouses, plant depots, or just off of the net?


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## Asa

> Yen, are these products (the pollen and honey powders) available at petstores, warehouses, plant depots, or just off of the net?


http://www.tradeindia.com/Exporters_Manufa.../Honey_Products

Maybe this is what you're looking for?


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## yen_saw

> Yen, are these products (the pollen and honey powders) available at petstores, warehouses, plant depots, or just off of the net?


You can find pellet type bee pollen in heatlh store, they are $10.99 per bottle of 20oz glass container i think. I bought it from chinatown here in Houston, you can find it in Sandy's market too. I used wild cactus honey powder as mixture but i am sure any type of honey powder will do.


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## Sparky

Why don't they sell pollen pellets to minors? I went to the drug store by circut city today and I saw pollen pellets in a jar. I wanted to stock up on some and be prepared for when i get my mantis.

But when I went to the lady over the counter she said "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, but we don't sell these to minors. Again im really sorry" I didn't want to argue because she seemed nice. :wink:

Why not to minors? It's not like we sniff it or anything. :roll:

Or maybe because it was the fact I was all by myself in a drug store?


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## Asa

> Or maybe because it was the fact I was all by myself in a drug store?


I think that's it.


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## Sparky

If you catch a bee is it ok for the praying mantis to eat its poison sac?


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## yen_saw

> Why don't they sell pollen pellets to minors? I went to the drug store by circut city today and I saw pollen pellets in a jar. I wanted to stock up on some and be prepared for when i get my mantis.But when I went to the lady over the counter she said "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, but we don't sell these to minors. Again im really sorry" I didn't want to argue because she seemed nice. :wink:
> 
> Why not to minors? It's not like we sniff it or anything. :roll:
> 
> Or maybe because it was the fact I was all by myself in a drug store?


I was not aware of it. But you can always ask your parents to get you one.


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## colddigger

> Why don't they sell pollen pellets to minors? I went to the drug store by circut city today and I saw pollen pellets in a jar. I wanted to stock up on some and be prepared for when i get my mantis.But when I went to the lady over the counter she said "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, but we don't sell these to minors. Again im really sorry" I didn't want to argue because she seemed nice. :wink:
> 
> Why not to minors? It's not like we sniff it or anything. :roll:
> 
> Or maybe because it was the fact I was all by myself in a drug store?


oviously they didn't want you to snort pollen for some reason


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## Asa

Yen gave his 'recipe' to www.mantisplace.com so you can get it there.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart, yen.


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## Ben.M

> If you catch a bee is it ok for the praying mantis to eat its poison sac?


Loads of people feed live bees so i should think it would


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## OGIGA

> Why don't they sell pollen pellets to minors? I went to the drug store by circut city today and I saw pollen pellets in a jar. I wanted to stock up on some and be prepared for when i get my mantis.But when I went to the lady over the counter she said "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, but we don't sell these to minors. Again im really sorry" I didn't want to argue because she seemed nice. :wink:
> 
> Why not to minors? It's not like we sniff it or anything. :roll:
> 
> Or maybe because it was the fact I was all by myself in a drug store?


Yeah, they don't want you sniffing it, get an allergic reaction, and die. Just kidding.


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## Asa

Some people do get severe reactions to honey, even to the point of epilesy.


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## OGIGA

Okay, so I got this honey powder thing that looks like what Yen has. Before I start feeding it to my mantis, I want to make sure that this is it. What makes me nervous are the ingredients. It's mostly cane syrup.

Yen, what are the ingredients in your honey powder?


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## yen_saw

Calvin, i think that will do. I don't remember what is the ingredient of the one i am using but believed they should be similar. I just grind it into powder and mix that with the pollen. I will check my honey powder and come back here if it is of different type.


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## buddhistsoldier88

is that a bible quote? Gettin a bit pushy Christiantiy, arent we? KIDDING!!!!!!! IM SORRY!!!!! :shock: :lol:


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## OGIGA

> is that a bible quote? Gettin a bit pushy Christiantiy, arent we? KIDDING!!!!!!! IM SORRY!!!!! :shock: :lol:


Haha, it actually is a quote from the Bible. Even the name of the company, Prince of Peace, has Biblical origins. The back of the container has that quote in Chinese too. The left side of the front label (not photographed) have their websites ( www.popus.com and www.popsfoundation.org ) if you were wondering about their company.


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## yen_saw

Calvin, i took the pics of my pollen products and honey powder.






ah bummer... guess what, i forgot to upload the Nutrition fact pic for the honey promise to post it here next time.....

Here is the pollen











Hmmm.... should i try it too? i don't want to wake up one day and find both my arms turns into two raptorial arm



....only kidding!


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## OGIGA

Thanks, Yen. If you know the ingredients, that would do.


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## yen_saw

Hi Calvin, as promised, here is the nutrition fact.


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## OGIGA

Thanks Yen. It looks like we have very similar products. I think mine may have more non-honey fillers but at least I know that it's cane syrup. Anyway, I'll go look for bee pollen next.


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## MikhailsDinos

I get it from the healthy food store &amp; it's in the refregerator. Before I owned mantis, I would use it for my geckos &amp; my self. But I just happened to have the stuff when I started this hobby.

edit:

Great for the mind, body &amp; sole!


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## Ben.M

Is this stuff sold in the UK???


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