# Ants for nymphs?



## Ricardo (May 25, 2011)

would it be okay to feed ants ( those small black ones bigger then fruit flies but smaller then house flies ) to a three week old chinese mantis?


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## massaman (May 25, 2011)

you can try it but if the mantis wont eat it then try something else but I would avoid any bigger ants though and the ants maybe ok but the nymphs may need to get bigger in case they dont eat them!


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## Arwen9 (May 25, 2011)

I wouldn't risk it, personally.

Ants have mandibles that can pinch and bite your mantis. Worse, some ants have a stinger with various types of venom. I have fed ants to a nymph once, and it ended up losing some of the tarsi on one foot and limping for several days. &lt;_&lt; I didn't do it again.

But I'm also a little super cautious when it comes to prey items. I never feed bees, wasps, etc either which probably would be fine to others.


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## PhilinYuma (May 26, 2011)

Most ants use formic acid as a trail marker and mantids will avoid them. Harvester ants, including fire ants, do not use formic acid and a very hungry ant will eat them They are not recommended as a food source, though. Let me say this more strongly. No ants!


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## Emile.Wilson (May 26, 2011)

why not fruit flies?


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## massaman (May 26, 2011)

I guess I am lucky when I had used ants to feed some of my nymphs in the past but always watch the nymphs feed so that nothing goes wrong most of the time!


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## Ricardo (May 29, 2011)

Emile said:


> why not fruit flies?


My friend in Vancouver bought some chinese off me. I thought there would be petstores that sell pinheads or fruit flies because here in surrey petland sells pinhead crickets.

So I was trying to find out if ants would be okay for nymphs  

I have plenty of ff's for mine though


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## psyconiko (May 29, 2011)

I tried once to feed some Miomantis with Argentine ants....did not work.


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## Emile.Wilson (May 29, 2011)

Ricardo said:


> My friend in Vancouver bought some chinese off me. I thought there would be petstores that sell pinheads or fruit flies because here in surrey petland sells pinhead crickets.
> 
> So I was trying to find out if ants would be okay for nymphs
> 
> I have plenty of ff's for mine though


Noahs pet ark. On broadway sells fruit flies.  if you're ever in need. In the kitsilano area


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## Ricardo (May 29, 2011)

Emile said:


> Noahs pet ark. On broadway sells fruit flies.  if you're ever in need. In the kitsilano area


Really? thanks! Are they flightless?


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## Emile.Wilson (May 29, 2011)

Ricardo said:


> Really? thanks! Are they flightless?


From what i remember they could fly. They have Melangnoster and Hydei.


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