# Feeding (duh) crickets (not so duh)



## Asa (Sep 13, 2007)

How do you guys feed your mantids crickets? I hate scrambling around, cupping my hands and screwing it. I can get them into the mantids cage through a funnel, but how do I get it into the funnel? Help please.


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## Sparky (Sep 13, 2007)

Picking them up with your hands and throwing it in the funnel?


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## asdsdf (Sep 13, 2007)

C'mon, be a little nicer Sparky? You could also use forceps, or tapping the cantainer so some pour into the funnel.(Depends on container)


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## robo mantis (Sep 13, 2007)

Tweezers


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 13, 2007)

Yea, tweezers, I don't mind touching them when they are small, but the adults bother me. I shake them out of their rolls into a ff container, and pick them out with a 6" pair of tweezers. I find my mantis drop them a lot when the cricket bites them. If the mantis is holding the cricket where it can get it mouth on the mantis it can bite, so sometimes I cut their heads off :shock: I always lose one back leg, and usually pull off the other one just cause if they get loose they run to fast and my mantis are funny, most just want their food to come to them, no legs helps..


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## asdsdf (Sep 13, 2007)

Jeez, well forceps work too.


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## Sparky (Sep 14, 2007)

> Picking them up with your hands and throwing it in the funnel?


Or you can do this.

You can also do it the way my little brother does it.

1. Get a stick and dip it in honey.

2. Catch a cricket with it.

3. Throw it in.

Or you can do it the old forcep thing, whatever works for you.


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## Ben.M (Sep 14, 2007)

I use forceps, the easiest way to catch an adult female it get it by the ovapositer (using the forcept of course 8) )


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## OGIGA (Sep 14, 2007)

If you have issues with animal (or insect) cruelty, please don't read this!!!! Anyway, yeah.... so... I take a cricket out, shock it with an electric fly swatter, and dangle it in front of the mantis. If I'm too slow, the cricket returns to normal.


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## Asa (Sep 14, 2007)

> If you have issues with animal (or insect) cruelty, please don't read this!!!! Anyway, yeah.... so... I take a cricket out, shock it with an electric fly swatter, and dangle it in front of the mantis. If I'm too slow, the cricket returns to normal.


lol nice

I think Sparky's little bro's idea is the best. Thanks for all the help!


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## robo mantis (Sep 14, 2007)

Tweezers work the best it is so simple!


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## Rick (Sep 14, 2007)

A long pair of tweezers.


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## Precious (Sep 14, 2007)

> If you have issues with animal (or insect) cruelty, please don't read this!!!! Anyway, yeah.... so... I take a cricket out, shock it with an electric fly swatter, and dangle it in front of the mantis. If I'm too slow, the cricket returns to normal.


This is the most humane thing I've ever heard! The electrical shock instantly knocks out the whole central nervous system. Eventhough the idea that they feel pain is highly unlikely. This is brilliant OGIGA, thanks!

BTW the little clicky, scissor-like instrument is a hemostat, the "tweezer" are a kind of forcep.

Hibiscus - I think that first leg is a defense mechanism, it just falls off right away! I often pluck off the other for my old man and for less aggressive mantids. Glad I'm not the only one!


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## Rick (Sep 14, 2007)

> If you have issues with animal (or insect) cruelty, please don't read this!!!! Anyway, yeah.... so... I take a cricket out, shock it with an electric fly swatter, and dangle it in front of the mantis. If I'm too slow, the cricket returns to normal.


Why do you do this?


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## Kriss (Sep 14, 2007)

I just use my hands and pick them up grrrrr


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 14, 2007)

Glad Rick didn't ask me anything :lol: What usually peees me off is when ok the one leg fell off, I pick it up by the other leg and that one falls off! What the HecK!


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## OGIGA (Sep 14, 2007)

> Why do you do this?


It's so I can pick it up by holding a hind leg and not worry about it biting me... until its conscious again.


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## joossa (Sep 14, 2007)

Crickets disgust me, so I too have to resort to the good old tweezers.


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## Krissim Klaw (Sep 14, 2007)

I'm surprised so many members find crickets creepy. I used to keep them as pets all the time when I was a kid. Usually I just gently scoop them up in my hand. It is the fastest easiest way for me to catch them for feeding. Never been bitten by a cricket doing this. I also don't maim/stun the crickets when feeding and never once had a mantis injured by one. I've always considered crickets rather docile.

The honey method Sparky mentioned sounds like it might be interesting to try though.


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## asdsdf (Sep 14, 2007)

> If you have issues with animal (or insect) cruelty, please don't read this!!!! Anyway, yeah.... so... I take a cricket out, shock it with an electric fly swatter, and dangle it in front of the mantis. If I'm too slow, the cricket returns to normal.


Wow! I used to do that as a little kid, when I had fire bellied toads. I zapped the crickets with the bug zapper, and quickly carried it into their tank. My mom said back then, if any crickets escaped, I couldn't keep them anymore, since my she hates bugs, or anything alive that moves that is unhuman. Anything!


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## Precious (Sep 14, 2007)

> I'm surprised so many members find crickets creepy. I used to keep them as pets all the time when I was a kid. Usually I just gently scoop them up in my hand. It is the fastest easiest way for me to catch them for feeding. Never been bitten by a cricket doing this. I also don't maim/stun the crickets when feeding and never once had a mantis injured by one. I've always considered crickets rather docile.The honey method Sparky mentioned sounds like it might be interesting to try though.


I prefer to think of it as "modification" versus "maiming".  I handle the crix ok, but when I hand feed I use forceps. It's easier for the mantis than me holding the crik. I have an old guy that I love and he can't catch his food anymore. I grab the crik by one leg - it falls off, so I go for the other. As my mantid declines, he won't take a big, wiggly crik - minus the legs it's less threatening and he will eat. I truly believe that insects are not capable of processing and/or perceiving pain as we do. I also don't think it's a good idea for society to wantonly "torture" them. My children have been taught that there is no good to come from killing harmless insects. We capture and release all of God's creepy critters. (Except the one's that we feed the mantids  ) Most crix don't get "modified", it's done on a case by case basis.


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## Krissim Klaw (Sep 15, 2007)

> I prefer to think of it as "modification" versus "maiming".


Modification, sounds like a euphemism to me. That being said, my earlier post wasn't intended to come off as looking down on those who stun/kill/pull legs off their crickets before hand. I was just noting that I have never needed to do anything to crickets. Usually if my mantis is having a problem that just means I need to go down a size for them to feel comfortable. I mainly raise Chinese though so they are usually more than willing to go after crickets of any size.

In the end I don't think it matters much if you have to do something to your feeder's before hand. They are about to get eaten alive so I don't think there is much you can do to them that will top that. Some might say stunning or killing them before hand is the merciful thing to do.


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## mr. mantis (Feb 12, 2008)

Forgive me if I offend, but I'm getting a good laugh out of some of the responses. My wife is the same way though, CAN"T STAND TO TOUCH A CRICKET!   But she'll scoop up the Hydei's :huh: When she's forced to feed them, though, she'll use hemostats.

I just reach in and grab a few, then toss them into the cage. Every once in a while, I feel like Nero and dangle one in front of Mr or Ms Mantis. He-he-he.


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## blitzmantis (Feb 12, 2008)

I've never had a cricket even attempt to bite me! They just try and run. I don't get why so many of you find them so creepy (not calling anyone chickens  ).


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## idolomantis (Feb 12, 2008)

your a little late i guess.......................


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