# Weak mantis???



## blitzmantis (Jan 30, 2008)

It is a giant indian mantis and since i'm not sure what level it is, i'll just say it is about 3.5cm long. I have tried feeding it crickets but it will never go down to the bottom of the cage to look for crickets so every so often i must open the cage and drop the cricket right in front of it, but when it grabs it, the cricket breaks free. it overcome this i break the crickets back legs (i know it is a bit cruel, but it is the only way) and drop it in front of it. I have tried feeding it 2cm long mealworms it can't even get a grip on those! Is it a weak mantis or are they normally this weak????


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## Giosan (Jan 30, 2008)

blitzmantis said:


> It is a giant indian mantis and since i'm not sure what level it is, i'll just say it is about 3.5cm long. I have tried feeding it crickets but it will never go down to the bottom of the cage to look for crickets so every so often i must open the cage and drop the cricket right in front of it, but when it grabs it, the cricket breaks free. it overcome this i break the crickets back legs (i know it is a bit cruel, but it is the only way) and drop it in front of it. I have tried feeding it 2cm long mealworms it can't even get a grip on those! Is it a weak mantis or are they normally this weak????


Maybe he's about to moult?


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## idolomantis (Jan 30, 2008)

Giosan said:


> Maybe he's about to moult?


nah he,s still trying to eat, a mantis who,s about to moult dont even try to eat

i think its a kind of disease.


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## Rob Byatt (Jan 30, 2008)

blitzmantis said:


> It is a giant indian mantis and since i'm not sure what level it is, i'll just say it is about 3.5cm long. I have tried feeding it crickets but it will never go down to the bottom of the cage to look for crickets so every so often i must open the cage and drop the cricket right in front of it, but when it grabs it, the cricket breaks free. it overcome this i break the crickets back legs (i know it is a bit cruel, but it is the only way) and drop it in front of it. I have tried feeding it 2cm long mealworms it can't even get a grip on those! Is it a weak mantis or are they normally this weak????


Quite simply, you need to reduce the size of the prey item. A 2cm long mealworm is a lot stronger than a 2cm cricket  A mantis 3.5cm in length would struggle with either of these, unless it was _Cilnia humeralis_  

Try it with something around 1cm.


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## Giosan (Jan 30, 2008)

idolomantis said:


> nah he,s still trying to eat, a mantis who,s about to moult dont even try to eati think its a kind of disease.


I was reading he just doesn't catch anything or doesn't accept food.


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## blitzmantis (Jan 31, 2008)

I think I just need to reduce prey size coz it does struggle with mealworms but i think the mantid's claws haven't got enough grip to hold up a mealworm so big coz it is small so the mealworm can just slip out.


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## Rob Byatt (Feb 1, 2008)

blitzmantis said:


> I think I just need to reduce prey size coz it does struggle with mealworms but i think the mantid's claws haven't got enough grip to hold up a mealworm so big coz it is small so the mealworm can just slip out.


I always moan when no one takes advice after asking.......so I want to say thanks for listening


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## blitzmantis (Feb 2, 2008)

Not a problem, thank you for the advice :lol:


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