# Good idea or not?



## agent A (Nov 28, 2011)

Hello all, I was informed by someone that they would have some Blepharopsis mendica nymphs available in a while, I assume a month or two perhaps, so I would like to set up a terrarium for them so they all live together and form a low maintinence, attractive colony

I was wondering a few things, such as is this practical? Also, do I have a good idea down?

Here is my idea:

About an inch layer of desert sand on the bottom to be desert like

Then some plant stuff kinda bunched up to mimic a plant or bush

But I need to know, should I use dry brush (the crown of a dead bush) or greener stuff? Perhaps a live plant? it will be a terrarium type thing, and since they can't grip glass the plant stuff will be essential for the terrarium to work

I also need an idea on wat to use under the lid, I have a screen lid but I need something about an inch below that so they don't burn on the heat lamp I will rest on the screen lid, the bulb is hot enough to pulverize a dead fly, otherwise I think I got a good idea down, I used the terrarium for gongies without an issue, in fact I noticed less cannabalism and fewer mismolts with them in the terrarium, but I have been told gongies are a little different species

So let me know if u have any suggestions

Thanx!!


----------



## Precarious (Nov 28, 2011)

Mendica are not communal. They will cannibalize. If you are only getting a few nymphs I do not recommend it. If you're getting a whole ooth and want to experiment then give it a shot. I know someone that has kept them together off and on but I don't believe she kept them all as a single large group.


----------



## meaganelise9 (Nov 28, 2011)

Yes, I agree. They will eat each other. No bueno! Sand should be good. As far as plants- live vivarium plants are cool and all, but it has to be a plant that likes the same conditions as the bug. I know Jade plants and some other succulents like it dry in the winter months with high light. Otherwise, just put some fake ones in. Doesn't matter what color really. There is the theory that the bugs turn greener if their surroundings are greener (not sure I've ever seen proof of such a thing). I also don't recommend resting the heat lamp right on the terrarium. Why risk it? Many heat lamps come with a clamp (if not you can probably get one). Clamp it above the cage I'd say. If the lid is plastic, the heat lamp will melt it.


----------



## PhilinYuma (Nov 28, 2011)

Well, the word is in, young Alex. When your kindly natured friend and mine sends you some B. mendica, you would do well to keep them seperately in 32 oz pots. There are some cool sides to this. B. mendica tend to hang from the top of the enclosure, so make feeding ports in both the lid and the side. Capture a fly in a medication vial (4 drams or so, you know the kind) and let it fly directly into the pot. Often, the nymph will have caught it before you can put the bung back into the feeding port! There is no Garden of Eden in the in the True Tale of the Great Mantis Goddess (BbHN). Instead there is the story of _Hieros gamos, _where the Great Goddess performed her ceromonial rites, and from the beginning until the Fall (_felix culpa_, caused by interbreeding), among her first attendants was a pair of B. mendica. Isn't that great?


----------



## angelofdeathzz (Nov 28, 2011)

Mantis on mantis OMG what's next???


----------



## agent A (Nov 29, 2011)

i will house the first generation individually but the cages will be in the terrarium because the terrarium gets as hot as 127 degrees

if they produce enough nymphs for me to afford a few losses due to cannabalizm i may try to establish a good colony

are 32 oz cups tall enough for the final molt?

thanx for the advice!!!


----------



## meaganelise9 (Nov 29, 2011)

Wow. 127 degrees!

I'd get a bigger cage for the final molt, personally, and make sure there's a good grippable vertical wall nearby and some sticks.


----------



## agent A (Nov 29, 2011)

meagen, how tall was the cage yours molted in? just curious because i need to know what types of cages to get, i looked on mantisplace and there are several possibilities of things i could use

thanx!


----------



## PhilinYuma (Nov 29, 2011)

The usual rule of thumb for an enclosure is that it be three times the length of the mantis. I have had no problems, so far, with a 32oz pot. If you are using an encosed terrarium, you might want to create passive humidity with a few regularly wetted sponges. You can't go keeping them at temps over 90F, though and you must have a thermometer/hygrometer once you start juggling the temp and humidity.


----------



## agent A (Nov 29, 2011)

I will keep them in 32 oz things and if i feel they r getting too big i will adjust accordingly

How high should the humidity be? I asume at most 40%, i hear they like it dry And phil don't worry the lamp only is that hot the first few inches under it, if need be i can get a smaller bulb  , i will do some experiments with it and my hydrothermometer


----------



## meaganelise9 (Nov 30, 2011)

Yeah, I'd back off on that heat lamp. I keep mine in a critter cage. A 32 deli would be tall enough for an adult but not wide enough.


----------



## agent A (Nov 30, 2011)

ok thanx meagan


----------



## massaman (Dec 2, 2011)

dont fry them with that high of a temp as I would go lower if I were you and have had two of them like a year ago and they got to adults with just a normal room temp but thats just me but anythings possible if you just believe!


----------



## twolfe (Dec 2, 2011)

I keep my b. Mendica warmer than all of my other species. With the heat lamp, the temp at the top of the net enclosure enclosure gets up to 88 - 90 degrees in the daytime. Because they are in a net, they have the option of being as close to the heat lamp as they wish, but if it's too warm, they can move away. I usually put the net enclosures with males in them right under the heat lamp. (I'm down to one male now.) It's slightly cooler with the nets that are surrounding the heat lamp. At night the temperature is room temperature and is between 72 - 74 degrees.


----------



## agent A (Dec 4, 2011)

Tammy, I did temperature experiments and I put a net cage in the terrarium, the top of the mesh is about 90 degrees with my heat lamp, I like the idea of moving the net cage around if need be

Now I must solve a huge problem, the lamp brings the humidity down to 0%, an inch of slightly moist sand might do the trick, anyone have any suggestions?

Thanx


----------



## twolfe (Dec 4, 2011)

They like it dry. If you lightly mist them every 5 - 7 days or so, you should be fine. I'm not sure you need to put the net cage in the terrarium. You'll want good ventilation.


----------



## agent A (Dec 4, 2011)

Good point tammy, I shall find a good place to put it


----------



## PhilinYuma (Dec 4, 2011)

Wow, this is an exciting thread! 0%RH is way too low even for the desert. Either reduce the temp by using a smaller wattage lamp or moving it further away, or using a humidifier, though the latter seems a bit extreme for this species! Keep us up to date


----------



## agent A (Dec 4, 2011)

good idea phil! i dont think i need a 150 watt basking bulb for them, i shall try a smaller bulb

i cant wait to raise these guys!


----------



## twolfe (Dec 4, 2011)

You may need to spray them more often than I do if you don't have a humidifier in your house. I have one attached to the furnace. But it still gets really hot and dry under the heat lamp. The babies love it though. As soon as the heat lamp turns on in the morning, they all head that way and line up to be as close to it as possible. It's kind of cute. After they warm up, they spread around again.


----------



## agent A (Dec 4, 2011)

Tammy, u r making me wish it was Christmas break so I could get some, I still need to get fruitflies and net cages  

If I knew wat % humidity they need I can spray them whenever I need to bring it back to that level

Hey would a net cage with a plastic bottom and 1 plastic wall or should there be more netting to it?

Thnx for your help!!!


----------



## twolfe (Dec 4, 2011)

Christmas isn't that far away!

Most of my net cages are the Butterfly Castle cages. They have just one plastic side, and I keep that to the right with the zipper on the bottom. That's a personal preference. I put a papertowel on the bottom. I prefer the white ones for raising nymphs because they are easy to see.

Do you have any net enclosures you use for raising moths?


----------



## agent A (Dec 5, 2011)

I raise my moths outside in buckets, I hope to get rearing sleeves next year for them

I have a home made net cage with 1 open side for my moths to call from, I have 3 mantis net cages, it's the discovery kids net cage kit thing, though I use 1 for flies and I have a popa in a second one, how long does it take for cages from livemonarch to arrive?

Thanx


----------



## Termite48 (Dec 5, 2011)

Alex: What species of moth are you raisiing? What are rearing sleeves? The net cages from Monarch seem to be about five days in delvery and they are excellent. I use mine with the plastic (non-mesh) side on the bottom for catching any spills and debris. One can get more humidity without the use of towels by having a potted plant on the bottom and when you water it through the top mesh, any spilled water remains on the bottom for it ti evaporate and cause more humidity. Tammy is better than I am at all this, but this is what I do. Another thing you need to know is that if an adult mantis has especially long claws on its raptorial legs, they can get caught in the mesh when the mantis tries to ambulate or hang at the top. I had to rescue an adult female Creobrotoer pictipennis a few days ago, two times in one day. I finally had to remove her. The weird thing is that it had never happened before to any of the other Creos. I also use a potted plant in one of my cages and it makes getting a higher humidity much easier and adds the benefit of a natural climbing and hiding area for the mantids. I also looks nice if you get a pretty plant. In my case I have a Hoya carnosa vine. I will be offering rooted cutting of it later in the Spring.

Rich


----------



## agent A (Dec 5, 2011)

I rear saturniid moths and the occasional Virginia creeper sphinx, a rearing sleeve is a mesh sock that is placed over the branch of a hostplant for the caterpillars to eat, it's like keeping your moths on the tree but containing them and offering protection from predators

I may take u up on your plant offer, but I need to know a few things,

1: is it easy to care for?

2: does it need a lot of light?

3: does it require a huge pot?

4: how much humidity would it release? My fear is it would make the cage too humid for Blepharopsis

I may grab some tree branches with lots of twigs, I read somewhere idolomantis and related species love that, especially birch

I'll let u know wat I come up with


----------



## meaganelise9 (Dec 5, 2011)

Do you feed the moths to your mantids or are they too pretty? heheh


----------



## twolfe (Dec 5, 2011)

agent A said:


> I raise my moths outside in buckets, I hope to get rearing sleeves next year for them
> 
> I have a home made net cage with 1 open side for my moths to call from, I have 3 mantis net cages, it's the discovery kids net cage kit thing, though I use 1 for flies and I have a popa in a second one, how long does it take for cages from livemonarch to arrive?
> 
> Thanx


Alex, you mentioned you raise yours in buckets outside when we discussed this before but thought you may start them indoors in a net enclosure like I do.

I just ordered from livemonarch, and it took 10 days for my nets to arrive (but that includes Thanksgiving and a Sunday). They were shipped first class. I don't know why it took so long. If you buy four or more, the shipping changes to priority mail. I'm sure my previous orders were all shipped priority mail.

Livemonarch also sells rearing socks. I did buy a couple from them and a couple from another source. Maybe you can get a good deal from Bill O.


----------



## meaganelise9 (Dec 5, 2011)

Tammy Wolfe said:


> They were shipped first class. I don't know why it took so long.


It is near the holidays, so there is more mail going around (cards, etc.), and soon the postal service will be greatly downsizing which will slow all deliveries. Harumph!


----------



## agent A (Dec 6, 2011)

I keep mine in Tupperware containers and inside only until they start eating

Next year everything will be done outside

I am surveying my net cage options at the moment


----------



## Psychobunny (Dec 13, 2011)

PhilinYuma said:


> Wow, this is an exciting thread! 0%RH is way too low even for the desert. Either reduce the temp by using a smaller wattage lamp or moving it further away, or using a humidifier, though the latter seems a bit extreme for this species! Keep us up to date


Is 0% RH a possibility?

I choak and sinuses shivel up at 20%


----------

