# What NOT to feed mantids.



## Malakyoma (Oct 23, 2012)

So as most of you know, Im a new member of the forum getting started with mantids shortly. I've heard a few rules about what to feed mantids and what they can handle. Things like "Whatever can fit in their grip" for size, but I've also heard people say they wont feed mantids spiders, ants, or crickets occasionally.

So what I want to know is, what will you never feed your mantid and why? Is anything but whats on your list ok as long as the mantid is big enough? Thanks for the help.


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## hierodula (Oct 23, 2012)

Dont feed wasps, because they sting and bite, and are mostly shell with little meat. Be wary of crickets from youre local pet store if freshly bought, but crickets you feed for a few days to gut load are okay (cause you know whats going in your mantis). Be careful of agressive spiders like wolf spiders, because they can kill it. DONT FEED BEES BECAUSE THEYRE POPULATION IS IN DECLINE. In general though, pretty much everything else will work


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## Malakyoma (Oct 23, 2012)

What do you suggest gutloading crickets with? I heard potato is acceptable.


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## hierodula (Oct 23, 2012)

Potato, lettuce, oats.. Crickets are opportunistic, and pretty much every thing you eat, they will eat. Dont use too much carrot in their food mix because the carrot sometimes make my mantids vomit after they eat the cricket.


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## Golden State Vivs (Oct 23, 2012)

Potato and lettuce have little to no nutritional value. A good feed for cricket gut-loading is either a commercially available gut-load (such as Repashy Bug Burger, available through our resident bug vendors) or a homemade slurry consisting of a high quality protein (good quality dog or cat food, or fish flake) coupled with quality high-nutrient greens and fruit, such as kale, collards, endive, escarole, parsley, cilantro, oranges, apples, etc.


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## Crazy4mantis (Oct 24, 2012)

Other mantids.  

It really depends on what species you have. A "standard garden mantis" will eat anything they can catch. (that's safe) but some like certain flower mantids will only eat flying food and completely ignore crickets etc. what are you planning on keeping?


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## Mvalenz (Oct 24, 2012)

Don't feed them fried foods. Its bad for their cholesterol. Just kidding I feed them every insect except bees, wasps, and spiders.


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## Malakyoma (Oct 24, 2012)

As of right now it's looking like I'll have a ghost, a creo, and potentially some popa (depending on how they handle shipping) by early november.


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## Rick (Oct 24, 2012)

You will hear people talk of feeding them bananas, lunch meat, etc. That is nothing like their normal diet so stay away. All insects are on the diet except honeybees and wasps. I typically don't feed them spiders. Crickets are fine if taken care of properly. I prefer the bulk of the cricket diet to be fresh foods instead of commercially prepared foods which in most cases are junk.


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## fleurdejoo (Oct 24, 2012)

Human flesh... I would never feed them human flesh.

Wait...


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## Malakyoma (Oct 24, 2012)

fleurdejoo said:


> Human flesh... I would never feed them human flesh.
> 
> Wait...


Worlds slowest Evidence getter-ridder-ofer


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## Introvertebrate (Oct 24, 2012)

fleurdejoo said:


> Human flesh... I would never feed them human flesh.
> 
> Wait...


Ex-husband?


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## lancaster1313 (Oct 24, 2012)

I don't feed mine anything that has bright (piosonous looking) colors, like black, red, orange, and yellow. Defensive odors will keep me from feeding, as well (mantids might not care about the odors but I don't feel like smelling all that).

Also no ants, spiders, or bees. I like the spiders and bees too much and spiders can be dangerous for them, depending on the size or health of both predator or prey(it could go either way). Ants just seem like they can be dangerous, taste bad, or both.


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## sinensispsyched (Oct 24, 2012)

Beetles' tegmina are too tough for most mantises to grasp. Soft bodied insects are easiest to grasp.


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## Paradoxica (Oct 24, 2012)

fleurdejoo said:


> Human flesh... I would never feed them human flesh.
> 
> Wait...


Ok, once I had peeled a big piece of dead skin off my self and gave it to a mantis, just to see if she was into it, she ate it all.

I'm pretty sure that is phase one of creating a man-eater


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## fleurdejoo (Oct 25, 2012)

Omg! You made her eat human flesh!!!!


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## Crazy4mantis (Oct 25, 2012)

Malakyoma said:


> As of right now it's looking like I'll have a ghost, a creo, and potentially some popa (depending on how they handle shipping) by early november.


the creo will eat pretty much anything, but they prefer flying foods. the ghost will eat mostly flying foods such as flies and moths and a cricket from time to time. I'v never had a popa but I'm guessing same as the creo.


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## Malakyoma (Oct 25, 2012)

Crazy4mantis said:


> the creo will eat pretty much anything, but they prefer flying foods. the ghost will eat mostly flying foods such as flies and moths and a cricket from time to time. I'v never had a popa but I'm guessing same as the creo.


do they get big enough to handle crickets alright? I dont want them getting hurt because I gave them food that was too big for them.


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## Paradoxica (Oct 25, 2012)

Does anyone know of a reason not to feed earthworms? I have a nearly unlimited supply of them from a compost bin at work.


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## Malakyoma (Oct 25, 2012)

I dont have any reason or experience, but I would be scared the slime could cause problems. Maybe even drown them. I wont feed mine earthworms or slugs or anything slimy like that until I have video evidence its fine.



Paradoxica said:


> Does anyone know of a reason not to feed earthworms? I have a nearly unlimited supply of them from a compost bin at work.


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## SilentDeviL (Oct 25, 2012)

Paradoxica said:


> Does anyone know of a reason not to feed earthworms? I have a nearly unlimited supply of them from a compost bin at work.





Malakyoma said:


> I dont have any reason or experience, but I would be scared the slime could cause problems. Maybe even drown them. I wont feed mine earthworms or slugs or anything slimy like that until I have video evidence its fine.


Doesn't Earth Warm have soil in them ,... not sure if is a good diet for mantis ..


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## selkielass (Oct 25, 2012)

Red wigglers (feotida ) a common composting worm sometimes produce a toxin that will send a garter snake into convulsions and sometimes death. Garter keepers avoid them and stick to nightcrawlers- its not worth the risk even with worm eating species.


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## Malakyoma (Oct 25, 2012)

selkielass said:


> Red wigglers (feotida ) a common composting worm sometimes produce a toxin that will send a garter snake into convulsions and sometimes death. Garter keepers avoid them and stick to nightcrawlers- its not worth the risk even with worm eating species.


So would you say nightcrawlers are ok then? Or still a risk?


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## gripen (Oct 25, 2012)

Malakyoma said:


> I dont have any reason or experience, but I would be scared the slime could cause problems. Maybe even drown them. I wont feed mine earthworms or slugs or anything slimy like that until I have video evidence its fine.


Mantids do not breath through there mouths. They breath through species holes on the sides of there abdomens.


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## sinensispsyched (Oct 25, 2012)

Well, if there's a convulsing worm whipping around and it manages to cover a breathing hole, suffocation could happen.

However, that chance is VERY slim, since that area is often protected by wings, and the probability of the worm hitting it in the right place is not very common.


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## Malakyoma (Oct 25, 2012)

gripen said:


> Mantids do not breath through there mouths. They breath through species holes on the sides of there abdomens.


I didnt know that. Learned something new today.


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## Crazy4mantis (Oct 25, 2012)

Malakyoma said:


> do they get big enough to handle crickets alright? I dont want them getting hurt because I gave them food that was too big for them.


my ghost male was able to eat small crickets at L6. he once ate a fully grown adult cricket at subadult.  but they can get kind of "sick" of crickets (both meanings) so only feed if you have NO flies or moths.


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## Malakyoma (Oct 25, 2012)

I plan on feeding a good variety. Whatever I can get my hands on. And Im going to feed my crickets for a day or two before giving them to the mantis.


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## Borya (Oct 27, 2012)

Ladybirds, adult Zophobas morio, millipedes (not centipedes) - because of toxin they contain. All Carabidae, they stink too much. Probably Argiope aurantia, for the same reason (I didn't try this species, it lives southward). Scarabeidae, their chitin is too hard.

Spiders, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Dermaptera, Neuroptera are being taken well despite poison or defencive odor they have.


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