# DIY on my first enclosure!



## bio25 (Feb 5, 2018)

Hi, i will get on 25t/26th from this month my first mantis:

5x Phyllocrania paradoxa.

5x Creobroter gemmatus.

I bought today some 37 oz cup (it was impossible to find 32 oz) and i will try to do my own DIY. Can someone help me to decide what to use on the lid? Maybe the mesh holes could be bigger than the flies? Should i do a big hole on the lid or just a few smaller ones? This is the cup:








Now im looking for the heating mat and i have a question about size... They are 13.5 cm diameter and i found this sizes:

57x27 (30W); 73x27 (39W); 87x47 (46W) and 119x27 (64W).

Must the whole cup be on the mat or could be maybe about 1cm out from the mat?

I will be uploading pictures about this DIY ?.


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## Psytallus (Feb 5, 2018)

On my 1L cups I always cut a square out of the lid and two windows on the sides near the bottom. I use a hot box cutter or a soldering iron. Then I glue on pieces of mesh with hot glue. The nymphs I keep in these cups usually only eat fruit flies so I tend to use a fine textile mesh. I'm not sure what you mean by doing bug holes on the lid.

As for the heat mats, I only use lamps for heating so I don't know how much warmth they give off but in terms of size I would go for the 39W one. Any reason why you want to use heat mats rather than lamps?


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## bio25 (Feb 5, 2018)

Thank for your answer, i wanted to mean big hole, nut bug. Sorry.

Can i give heat to the 10 cups with just a lamp? I thought maybe they will not have the same heat, thats why im thinking about mats. 

Can the whole 10 cups be at 25°C with a single lamp?


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## Psytallus (Feb 5, 2018)

Oh, gotcha. As I said, I would just make a big hole and cover it with mesh. 

You can just attach a lamp about 30cm from the surface on which you put the cups, then arrange the cups in a circle around the lamp so they each get the same amount of heat. For 25°C a 20-30W lamp should suffice and you can adjust the distance to the lamp to regulate the temperature.


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## bio25 (Feb 5, 2018)

Oh, i never thought about this. That must be cheaper and better ?. Thank you sooo much for your ideas.

I was trying to find a way to give them the same heat but its impossible on this surface... What distribution will be better? Maybe there is another possibilities.


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## bio25 (Feb 5, 2018)

I finally found a way... hahahaha How can i be so silly not finding a way?? Haha

I will send some more pics on next step!


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## Psytallus (Feb 5, 2018)

Looks good. Sure, you'll have a few degrees variance like that but it shouldn't matter. Especially p. paradoxa can tolerate a very wide range of temperature.


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## CosbyArt (Feb 5, 2018)

@bio25 For ventilation see my habitat thread, it's all been covered...


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## bio25 (Feb 6, 2018)

CosbyArt said:


> @bio25 For ventilation see my habitat thread, it's all been covered...


Im making it with your method, but i was asking because i saw some people do a few smaller holes but after reading your post like 10 times i chose the advanced attaching method 3.

Thank you


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## CosbyArt (Feb 7, 2018)

bio25 said:


> Im making it with your method, but i was asking because i saw some people do a few smaller holes but after reading your post like 10 times i chose the advanced attaching method 3.
> 
> Thank you


The hole method seems to come and go with new members. While it does work it is really just busy work that can lead to excess humidity besides ventilation issues. Mesh has to be added for mantids to properly grip their enclosure anyway, so simply replacing a portion of the lid with mesh is just easier (and helps prevent the other issues too).  

If you have any questions feel free to ask, and your welcome.


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## bio25 (Feb 7, 2018)

Thank you for your help. I hope i can do it with no problems  

I will send some pics when they are ready. Mantis will be at home in like 15 days, so i still have time!


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## bio25 (Feb 10, 2018)

Hello again! I was looking for some organza, but i was wondering if i could use this on the lid. What do you think? Has small holes, but i never saw a fruitfly close up ?




I have almost everything ready. Should i put some coconut fiber inside? Or maybe is better just paper on L4 mantis?

Thank y'all!


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## Serle (Feb 10, 2018)

I usually use paper towel for the smaller nymphs , up to L4/5 for better feeder spotting . The clean up is another reason for paper ......  S


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## Psytallus (Feb 10, 2018)

I can't tell how fine the mesh is from the picture, but to be fruit fly proof the holes should be 0,5mm at most in my experience.


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## CosbyArt (Feb 11, 2018)

@bio25 After waiting on some flies to freeze and digging out my USB microscope I have some photos and sizes for you.





In my photos you can see a flightless variety Drosophila hydei (larger and darker - on top) and Melanogaster wingless variety along with a hand sewing needle. In the second photo you can see the very tip of the needle through the mesh.

The standard hand sewing needle in the photos is a sharp size # 6, available in a assorted pack with a diameter maximum of 0.029" (0.74 mm) measured with my digital caliper. Using Photoshop with the photo that needle is 75 pixels wide, which means each pixel is 0.0003866" in real life. So the standard tulle mesh I use has a 0.007732" (0.1963928 mm) mesh opening approximately.

That particular needle size is the same average width size I got from measuring Drosophila melanogasters. So to test your mesh get a sharp type size # 6 needle and see if it passes through the mesh, obviously if it does the mesh is too large for the Melanogaster variety. Or to put it more simply get a typical hand sewing needle and compare it to the mesh opening.  

After measuring the varieties of fruit flies I have as accurately as I could, I did about 15 of each, and have their sizes (not counting the wings). The Hydei is 0.195" (4.953 mm) long and 0.058" (1.4732 mm) at the widest. Melanogasters are 0.097" (2.4638 mm) long, and 0.029" (0.7366 mm) at the widest point.


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## bio25 (Feb 12, 2018)

Wow, thank you so much four your help. I really appreciate everyone help.

Im finishing my DIY right now and i will post some pics after that ???


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## bio25 (Feb 12, 2018)

My enclosure is finally done! Should i remove the excess of glue?




I will have my mantis at home in 10 days more or less so everything is ready for them now.

I will use humid paper towel inside till they gets bigger. Thank you so much for your help


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## CosbyArt (Feb 12, 2018)

bio25 said:


> My enclosure is finally done! Should i remove the excess of glue?


Congrats, the first is always the roughest - it gets much easier though.  

Nope, the glue doesn't hurt anything (being grip-able by mantids), and will keep the bond stronger.


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