# Finally Looking into Mantis Keeping



## Liet (Sep 20, 2010)

Hi everyone. My name is Sara, I'm 20 and very busy with college and work (PetSmart) as well as my baby (male veiled chameleon named Napoleon). I have loved mantids since one first found its way into our house and lived with us for several weeks, ridding us of those annoying flies.

I admit that I recently considered getting into breeding mantids as a feeder insect for Napoleon, since my parents will not allow any feeders aside from crickets and "cute" ones like mantids and pillbugs (I've gotten away with superworms somehow). After some consideration, I realized that I like those "cute" feeders too much to use them that way. I want to instead keep some mantids as pets when I eventually have the money and time to do so. Until then I will be around to learn how to care for them.  

It's nice to meet you and to find such a good resource as the forum.


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## shorty (Sep 21, 2010)

Welcome to the forum. I, myself, couldn't fathom using mantids as feeders, but I'm glad that you decided not to. I don't think they'd work very well as a feeder anyway.  

Also, I'm thinking about buying a veiled chameleon. I've always been solely into mantids, but I've been getting very interested in chameleons and have been considering taking them on as another hobby.

Enjoy your time here; you'll find anything you need to know about mantids at this forum.


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## Andrew (Sep 21, 2010)

Mantids wouldn't work well as feeders for the simple fact that they are just too much work to be used consistently.

Maybe you should look into silkworms. They're pretty "cute", and reptile food doesn't get much better.  

Anyways, welcome to the forum!


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## Liet (Sep 21, 2010)

shorty said:


> Also, I'm thinking about buying a veiled chameleon. I've always been solely into mantids, but I've been getting very interested in chameleons and have been considering taking them on as another hobby.


Thank you for the welcome.  Here's a picture of Napoleon since you're interested in veileds.


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## Liet (Sep 21, 2010)

Andrew said:


> Mantids wouldn't work well as feeders for the simple fact that they are just too much work to be used consistently.
> 
> Maybe you should look into silkworms. They're pretty "cute", and reptile food doesn't get much better.
> 
> Anyways, welcome to the forum!


I plan to introduce silkworms, but at the moment don't have the money for their care. Thanks for the suggestion.


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## kitkat39 (Sep 21, 2010)

Welcome to the forum! I guess you could use your dying mantids as food instead? Stick bugs might be more cost effective as food


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## Seattle79 (Sep 21, 2010)

Welcome Sara great to have you.

-Kevin


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## Rick (Sep 21, 2010)

Welcome


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## nickyp0 (Sep 21, 2010)

welcome to the forum


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 21, 2010)

Welcome, how bout roaches? that would really get parents attention


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## angelofdeathzz (Sep 21, 2010)

Welcome


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## more_rayne (Sep 21, 2010)

Welcome. Mantids don't have much meat on them, they would only be a light snack for your cham. I like roaches!


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## Liet (Sep 21, 2010)

kitkat39 said:


> Welcome to the forum! I guess you could use your dying mantids as food instead? Stick bugs might be more cost effective as food


I wish I could use stick bugs, but the ones I've found for sale seem to be illegal in the US. If you know of one that is legal, please let me know.  



hibiscusmile said:


> Welcome, how bout roaches? that would really get parents attention





more_rayne said:


> Welcome. Mantids don't have much meat on them, they would only be a light snack for your cham. I like roaches!


I used roaches a few times and like them a lot more than crickets. I snuck them home from the university herpetology lab (had permission from the lab, just not the parents  ). I found out that they were eating dog food at the lab, which can give a chameleon too much protein and cause health problems over time so I immediately stopped using them.


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## ismart (Sep 21, 2010)

Welcome to the forum!


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## shorty (Sep 21, 2010)

Liet said:


> Thank you for the welcome.  Here's a picture of Napoleon since you're interested in veileds.


Thanks for the photo, he's beautiful!


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