# Leaves and Twigs from the yard - Question



## Granny's Mantis Mayhem (May 6, 2019)

Is it safe to use leaves and twigs from the yard Is it safe to use leaves and twigs from the yard in the mantis enclosures? Do any of you do that? Pics would be awesome and how do you get them ready? Just toss in, heat first?in the mantis enclosures? Do any of you do that? Pics would be awesome and how do you get them ready? Just toss in, heat first?


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## hysteresis (May 6, 2019)

I avoid it now. If for any reason, it's to completely control the environment the mantises live in. My birds (I love to call them birds ) do fine with plastic foliage. 

Some bake their sticks. I tried that once. They produce oil and fumes when you do that. 

You can buy nice wood at reptile stores.


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## Granny's Mantis Mayhem (May 6, 2019)

Ok awesome, thank you!


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## Predatorhousepet (May 7, 2019)

When I was a beginner this was one of my very first questions. I asked about heat treating branches because I had read about it on the dendroboards regarding frog enclosures so I tried baking the sticks in a 200° oven for an hour...and ended up turning the ends of the sticks into charcoal. I found this mantis board shortly after my misadventure with the oven and was told heat treating sticks is unecessary for mantids, they are not sensitive to foreign bacteria like dart frogs are. It's perfectly fine to use sticks from your yard provided you are ABSOLUTELY SURE no pesticides or fertilizers have been used anywhere near your foraging spot for at least 2 years and you give them a quick visual inspection to make sure there are no tiny hitchhikers like aphids or ants. If you are worried about tiny bugs and don't have the best eyesight you can give the sticks a rinse with hot water and a scrub brush then let dry out before using. If you clip twigs and leaves directly off the tree this also reduces the possibility of hitchhiker insects. (If you have a bioactive substrate in the enclosure be sure to include leaves close to the ground as they will be partially decomposed and provide food for your springtails and isopods.)


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## Granny's Mantis Mayhem (May 7, 2019)

Thank you so much that was perfect info and so helpful !!


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## MantisGirl13 (May 12, 2019)

I use wild twigs with no problems. Don't worry.

- MantisGirl13


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## hysteresis (May 12, 2019)

Wish id've known before I baked twigs in the oven!


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## MantisGirl13 (May 12, 2019)

hysteresis said:


> Wish id've known before I baked twigs in the oven!


Lol  

Beginners tend to overthink things.

- MantisGirl13


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## hysteresis (May 12, 2019)

MantisGirl13 said:


> Lol
> 
> Beginners tend to overthink things.
> 
> - MantisGirl13


There's literally tons of direction to sanitize sticks out on the web.


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## MantisGirl13 (May 12, 2019)

hysteresis said:


> There's literally tons of direction to sanitize sticks out on the web.


Ya, maybe for reptiles, but not insects.

- MantisGirl13


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## Granny's Mantis Mayhem (May 13, 2019)

I decided to mist lightly with Hydregon Peroxide and then rinse with boiling hot water, after that, I left in the sun for a few days. The leaves and twigs turned out beautiful and no scary outside bugs lol 

Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions


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## Predatorhousepet (May 13, 2019)

Granny's Mantis Mayhem said:


> I decided to mist lightly with Hydregon Peroxide and then rinse with boiling hot water, after that, I left in the sun for a few days.


May I ask why you thought to use hydrogen peroxide? It is not a harmless chemical. A very dilute 3% solution is sold to consumers but it still shouldn't be ingested by humans as it can cause vomiting and irritation of the stomach lining. Now imagine how much smaller a mantis is and the fact that they will drink water droplets off the sticks and leaves so even if even a tiny amount of hydrogen peroxide is left it could wreck havoc with your mantis's insides. Rinsing with boiling water probably washed most of it away and sitting out in sunlight probably broke down anything left but you don't want to take chances that even the tiniest amount is still there. Best to skip the hydrogen peroxide and stick to boiling water and sunlight to remove hitchhiking beasties.


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## Viking (May 13, 2019)

Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into just water. They are no long term dangerous chemicals in it. If you left the bottle open, it get weaker with time.  If it dries out there no possibility affecting the babies. Many aquarists use this to kill algae with the fish still in the tank. I agree you should not misted the tank with it.


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## Predatorhousepet (May 13, 2019)

Yes, hopefully the hydrogen peroxide will have completely dried out and broken down by then but I was mainly wondering what is the purpose of putting hydrogen peroxide on sticks that boiling water and sunlight can't take care of?


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## Granny's Mantis Mayhem (May 13, 2019)

Viking said:


> Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into just water. They are no long term dangerous chemicals in it. If you left the bottle open, it get weaker with time.  If it dries out there no possibility affecting the babies. Many aquarists use this to kill algae with the fish still in the tank. I agree you should not misted the tank with it.


I didn't mist the tank, just the twigs and leaves   Thank you


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## Granny's Mantis Mayhem (May 13, 2019)

Predatorhousepet said:


> May I ask why you thought to use hydrogen peroxide? It is not a harmless chemical. A very dilute 3% solution is sold to consumers but it still shouldn't be ingested by humans as it can cause vomiting and irritation of the stomach lining. Now imagine how much smaller a mantis is and the fact that they will drink water droplets off the sticks and leaves so even if even a tiny amount of hydrogen peroxide is left it could wreck havoc with your mantis's insides. Rinsing with boiling water probably washed most of it away and sitting out in sunlight probably broke down anything left but you don't want to take chances that even the tiniest amount is still there. Best to skip the hydrogen peroxide and stick to boiling water and sunlight to remove hitchhiking beasties.


It was recommended by loads of people and from searching online.  I've not had any problems from any of the tanks I used the twigs and leaves in so far


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## Viking (May 13, 2019)

H2O2 can kill algae, mold, bacteria, spores and tiny creatures. The oxygen reacts with anything that combine with oxygen. It is very unstable so longs short term when exposed to air.  It is used to clean things. It is used to dis-infect wounds and bleach hair LOL It is not a dangerous.


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## Predatorhousepet (May 13, 2019)

"Not dangerous" in regards to toxicity of a chemical is relative. Maybe not to us (unless we drink it straight from the bottle) but as you said it is used to kill things like tiny creatures. The part about leaving it in the sun to dry for several days is super critical to make sure all of it is broken down. I was worried someone else would skip that part or not leave it out long enough to degrade completely (you'd be surprised how many people try to take shortcuts and do something phenomenally dumb in the process without thinking of the possible consequences)

Besides, trying to make sticks and leaves sterile for a mantis environment is completely unnecessary. The main task you want to do is brush off things like ants, aphids, etc and those are big enough that a scrub brush and plain water is all that's needed.


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## Viking (May 13, 2019)

Most of it would react in minutes and be gone. Brushes do nothing to the micro-fauna and flora. Also some dilute and use as a mouth rinse. I would not recommend that either.

I guess we can agree to disagree.


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## Foxhill (May 14, 2019)

Ive found that mold forms on some wood faster than others with the humidity,   within 3-4 days sometimes,    Something to watch out for. Trial and error with the twigs. P.S I did the oven baked thing too, until someone said     DOH !


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## Granny's Mantis Mayhem (May 15, 2019)

Thank you, everyone, for the input. So far there has been zero problems and we love the natural look of the enclosures. I will try to get some photos to share   .


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## MantisGirl13 (May 15, 2019)

Ya, show us some pics!

- MantisGirl13


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## Granny's Mantis Mayhem (May 17, 2019)

MantisGirl13 said:


> Ya, show us some pics!
> 
> - MantisGirl13


@MantisGirl13 here ya go  












This pic is when I put them outside for some fresh air   I try to do it daily depending on the weather.






Humbles Home


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## MantisGirl13 (May 17, 2019)

Perfect enclosures! Nice camper too.

- MantisGirl13


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