# What to do before a mating?



## sinensispsyched (Apr 30, 2012)

Today, I will breed my creos after my mom returns home with crix.

Should I feed the female before and during the mating, or only during?

Also, should I feed the male? He hasn't eaten in a day, but I still want him to be able to fly.

This is my first mating, so I'm probably overreacting!


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## agent A (Apr 30, 2012)

i would feed them flies

feed her well before and during but NOT while he persues her


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## Davedood (Apr 30, 2012)

You wanna feed the female till she's nice and fat. You could also have some crickets roaming while in the mating cage. The fuller the female is the better, she will be less likely to eat the male. If you keep an eye on them you can see if the female is ready


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## agent A (Apr 30, 2012)

my femmes r skinny but call every night but the male almost died 3 times


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## patrickfraser (Apr 30, 2012)

You better get the girls good and fat. Skinny girls are more likely to see him as food than a mate and eat him up. Feed them before, during, and after.


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## sinensispsyched (Apr 30, 2012)

Thanks for the advice! What do you say about two subadult crix before the mating (one small one for the male), one subadult cricket after he hops on, and a couple with them in the enclosure.

BTW, why not any while he's pursuing?


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## rs4guy (Apr 30, 2012)

Feed the female copiusly, and while shes mating to deter cannibalism.


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## jcal (Apr 30, 2012)

Pray...


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## agent A (Apr 30, 2012)

dont feed him too much or he wont wanna mate

not while he's pursuing since they will distract him


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## sinensispsyched (Apr 30, 2012)

Oh, I thought you meant the female...

Will his lack of food cause him to grab on too tight, or cause damage?


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## agent A (Apr 30, 2012)

sinensispsyched said:


> Oh, I thought you meant the female...
> 
> Will his lack of food cause him to grab on too tight, or cause damage?


nope

it's the femms who think male is food, not the other way around


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## sinensispsyched (Apr 30, 2012)

I know, I've just heard tales...


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## sinensispsyched (Apr 30, 2012)

Also, when I start the breeding up, how far from each other should I originally introduce them?


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## agent A (Apr 30, 2012)

i usually have them just 2 inches away, she moves and he's off, and onto her...


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## sinensispsyched (Apr 30, 2012)

Man, can the males FLY!


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## agent A (Apr 30, 2012)

sinensispsyched said:


> Man, can the males FLY!


u JUST noticed? :huh: :lol: :clown:


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## sinensispsyched (Apr 30, 2012)

No, they were more of an irritant until now. Now, they're an asset.


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## sinensispsyched (Apr 30, 2012)

Well, today was a failure.

I introduced them two inches apart, with the female chewing away at a cricket and a half before the male was introduced. He sat there like a bum, with no antennae waving or movement whatsoever. Does this sound like he's too young, or is he too used to the female's pheromones?


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## agent A (Apr 30, 2012)

Probably used to pheremones


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## sinensispsyched (Apr 30, 2012)

I now have them separated. Is he doomed for all future matings, or would he still have a chance?


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## agent A (Apr 30, 2012)

sinensispsyched said:


> I now have them separated. Is he doomed for all future matings, or would he still have a chance?


Put the stubborn SOB :tt2: jk of course in a different room and crak open a few windows for a few days


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## dlemmings (Apr 30, 2012)

when I mated my creos i gave her a cricket the size of her abdomen each day and tossed in a BBF for a midnight snack for a full week leading up to mating.

I kept the male out of the aquarium that houses all my mantis enclosures (mostly deli-cups) but still in the same room. when I put them together the first day he crawled near but when I ran off to answer the call of nature they were on opposite sides of breeding box like she mabey struck at him and he fled, so I seperated them and put them together a day or two later. at first he did not seem to notice her (chewing on juicy cricket, she saw him and turned to face him) they were about 6 inches apart and i tried using a chop stick and blowing him towards her. finally I just walked to the living room and glanced over occasionally. this seemed to make them less apprehensive perhapse because within 10 minutes he was mounted on her. I tossed in 2-3 BBF so she could eat something besides him. she moved all over with him in tow. she just laid 2nd ooth yesterday


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## dlemmings (Apr 30, 2012)

heah here is the post,

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=24787


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## CoolMantid (Apr 30, 2012)

He will definetly still ahve a chance. Keep him in a different room until the weekend so you can be there ALL day or ALMOST all day. Keep close watch on them

Feed them up until they are plump. 4 crix for the female 1 for the male before mating

Let the male mounted THEN feed her again. Once she eats that one feed her again and so on.

btw I have had problems with live food in the cage. My male was mounted on femal and then the male jumps off and catches a crix. It was upsetting...Always have food in the females raptorial legs. Esspecially with creos, as they are very aggressive.


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## mkayum (Apr 30, 2012)

Wishing you the good luck for your mated pairs. 

Try again another day &amp; make sure you have crickets ready!


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## sinensispsyched (May 1, 2012)

They were both introduced OUTSIDE the enclosures, that way I could interfere quickly if anything went awry...

I noticed that the female was very alert, she would turn her head at the male constantly.


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## Chivalry (May 1, 2012)

Finally got mine to connect. Yay!! I had to leave them in a net cube overnight together.

DO make sure he is fed. I made the mistake of not feeding the male well the first time, and he attacked the female, which has left ME really twitchy about leaving them together. She was ok but I never did get that particular female mated.


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## sinensispsyched (May 4, 2012)

I think my female hasn't been calling... she was not responding to the male well today.


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## maybon (May 4, 2012)

Give it a week and try again, there is no reason to rush things. Some mantids need 4-6 weeks after maturing to adults before they are ready to be mated.


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## sinensispsyched (May 5, 2012)

Dang, my HUGE disadvantage to life is my impatience.


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