# Handling mantids



## AikoAiko (Jun 18, 2008)

I am curious to hear everyone's opinion on this; Is it ok to touch your mantids? I've kept mostly wild caught Chinese mantids and sometimes I'd let one perch or walk on my arm. It didn't seem to hurt the mantis. I think handling one if you have sunscreen or soap or something on your hands would be a bad idea or handling them often enough to stress them out. But does it hurt anything to pick them up or hand feed them occasionally?


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## pedro92 (Jun 18, 2008)

AikoAiko said:


> I am curious to hear everyone's opinion on this; Is it ok to touch your mantids? I've kept mostly wild caught Chinese mantids and sometimes I'd let one perch or walk on my arm. It didn't seem to hurt the mantis. I think handling one if you have sunscreen or soap or something on your hands would be a bad idea or handling them often enough to stress them out. But does it hurt anything to pick them up or hand feed them occasionally?


I honestly doubt handling a mantis with clean hands should hurt them. Just wash b4 and after you handle them


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## hibiscusmile (Jun 18, 2008)

As long as you wash as Chamelone said, it will be fine. They don't mind handling as long as u don't scare them!


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## Rick (Jun 19, 2008)

You can handle them however I feel that too much handling is bad. They are a look, don't touch type of pet.


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## OGIGA (Jun 20, 2008)

You can handle them, but it may stress them out. Yeah, stress is bad for insects too.


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## chrisboy101 (Jun 20, 2008)

my ghost loves to be handled - i think


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## Giosan (Jun 20, 2008)

I haven't found any proof of mantids getting stressed when handling them.. I handle my mantids quite a lot and they don't seem to care at all


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## mrblue (Jun 20, 2008)

thing is we dont really handle them do we? i don't think letting them walk/crawl on us counts. if you actually try to pick a mantis up (i mean physically grip it somehow and pick it up) they will show you how very little they like this! also i have yet to have a HEALTHY mantis that does not recoil from my touch.


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## macro junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

chrisboy101 said:


> my ghost loves to be handled - i think


did the female turn up?


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## The_Asa (Jun 21, 2008)

If your mantis is fragile and tentative, use some common sense and don't handle it. Otherwise, feel free to hand feed it or whatever, just don't over do it.


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## MantidLord (Jun 21, 2008)

I don't handle my mantids (unless I really need to), until they reach adult. Then I'll let them walk around for a real brief moment. As far as picking it up, I'd never even try it. I don't think any mantis "likes" being touched, because nothing touches them in the wild. As far as walking on our arms, they just consider those big, ugly, hairy, sticks.

note: I'm not saying that your arms are ugly or hairy.lol


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## idolomantis (Jun 24, 2008)

MantidLord said:


> I don't handle my mantids (unless I really need to), until they reach adult. Then I'll let them walk around for a real brief moment. As far as picking it up, I'd never even try it. I don't think any mantis "likes" being touched, because nothing touches them in the wild. As far as walking on our arms, they just consider those big, ugly, hairy, sticks. note: I'm not saying that your arms are ugly or hairy.lol


lol only you aldult people have that problem &gt;


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## Giosan (Jun 24, 2008)

By the way, with handling I of course don't mean picking them up.. Just playing with them, let them walk on your hand, climb on your other hand, etc.


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## The_Asa (Jun 24, 2008)

You'd be surprised how fragile some species of mantids are. However, with the Chinese, and other robust mantids, I don't see any problem whatsoever. Unless of course there was some freak accident :blink:


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## hibiscusmile (Jun 24, 2008)

I let mine walk around on me, I do not pick them up, they raise their arms and I let them get on me, thats all, no handling, just walking and swaying :lol:


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