# spray or paper towel



## massaman (May 13, 2009)

what seems better for ooths spraying them or using paper towel on the bottom of the container in which I am doing right now using paper towel on the bottom of some deli cups where i placed my crebroter gemmatus,gambian spotted eye and my religiosa exclusively should you mist the containers regardless of paper towel or not?I have two containers and one has 11 gambian ooths in it with paper towel in the bottem i keep wet and in the other is two gemmatus ooths and a religiosa ooth same deal with paper towel and keep the towel wet but not totally soaked and will this suffice or do i have to do little extra and spray the entire inside of the container as well?


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## hibiscusmile (May 13, 2009)

I like to spray, I dont like the towel.


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## massaman (May 13, 2009)

just wondering what should you do with the excess water that accumulated on the container bottom from spraying though just let it evaporate?


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## Katnapper (May 13, 2009)

I like to put a layer of paper towel on the bottom of enclosures to prevent "death by water droplets" drowning. And I mist the sides of the enclosure (so they can drink from the droplets) as well as the paper towel too.


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## PhilinYuma (May 13, 2009)

There's no doubt about it, if you want to keep the humidity up in yr pot, a paper towel will keep it up longer by slowing evaporation. Crix and roaches can hide under it, though.


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## Katnapper (May 13, 2009)

PhilinYuma said:


> There's no doubt about it, if you want to keep the humidity up in yr pot, a paper towel will keep it up longer by slowing evaporation. Crix and roaches can hide under it, though.


I paste the underside edges of it down sometimes with a thin line of honey, then spray it to wet and pat down. When it dries, it sticks there pretty good so feeders aren't as tempted to try to burrow under it!


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## OGIGA (May 14, 2009)

I do spray, but I also have a paper towel on the bottom of my containers. Maybe I should show a picture of my setup. Anyway, if you have to choose on or the other, I definitely go with spray. Mantises can drink sprayed water a lot better than water soaked in paper towels.


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## jameslongo (May 14, 2009)

Spray. When I deal with nymphs, I turn the nozel of the sprayer to the finest it can go &amp; spray at a distance. Very limited drownings this way, apart from dumb Drosophila  I might have to borrow that paper towel idea. Sounds promising


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## Rick (May 14, 2009)

I use spaghnum moss in the bottom. When it starts getting dry I remoisten it. You don't really spray ooths directly.


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## Katnapper (May 14, 2009)

Rick said:


> You don't really spray ooths directly.


I do!   :lol:


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## hibiscusmile (May 14, 2009)

Yea, moss hides a multitude of sins,,, it keeps the containers clearner, moister, and provides in my opionio a realistic effect to the container, plus it smells good even after a couple of weeks.

ps lets hear it for MOSS, MOSS, MOSS! ! ! :lol:


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## Rick (May 14, 2009)

hibiscusmile said:


> Yea, moss hides a multitude of sins,,, it keeps the containers clearner, moister, and provides in my opionio a realistic effect to the container, plus it smells good even after a couple of weeks. ps lets hear it for MOSS, MOSS, MOSS! ! ! :lol:


I agree it does smell nice. :lol:


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## PhilinYuma (May 14, 2009)

hibiscusmile said:


> Yea, moss hides a multitude of sins,,, it keeps the containers clearner, moister, and provides in my opionio a realistic effect to the container, plus it smells good even after a couple of weeks. ps lets hear it for MOSS, MOSS, MOSS! ! ! :lol:


O.K., Hibiscusmile, Rick, Moss looks nicer than paper towels and holds in moisture at least twice as well (4 thickness of towel v 1/2"[1.2cm] moss); it also smells nice (and I have two bags of it that I'm not using!), but I never use it, because the small crix and roaches just settle in and are never seen again. How do you solve that problem? Multiple feeders per pot? Vigorous shaking? Day glow paint on the feeders' backs? I have no idea. Instruct me, please.


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## OGIGA (May 14, 2009)

I have a bag of that sphagnum moss that I quit using. Things just kept hiding in there and cleaning it up is a lot more annoying that paper towels.


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## Katnapper (May 14, 2009)

Rick said:


> You don't really spray ooths directly.


Ok... gotta know, Rick.  Why do you avoid spraying ooths directly?  

And I second the question (to anyone).... How do you resolve the problem of feeders hiding in the moss?


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## OGIGA (May 15, 2009)

Katnapper said:


> Ok... gotta know, Rick.  Why do you avoid spraying ooths directly?  And I second the question (to anyone).... How do you resolve the problem of feeders hiding in the moss?


I've heard that spraying directly on oothecae cause them to mold. I always did that though. Maybe the air is just dry over here.


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## OGIGA (May 15, 2009)

Okay, so I'll show you my setup. I just spray right though the mesh/window. Note: I tried cloth screens before and they not only get dirty easier, but water doesn't get through very well.


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## jameslongo (May 15, 2009)

OGIGA said:


> I've heard that spraying directly on oothecae cause them to mold. I always did that though. Maybe the air is just dry over here.


Spraying them directly does not do any harm to the ooth unless you're using a high-pressure spray gun. Ooths get moldy if you've introduced a vector, like a cricket or fungied twig, into the container &amp; the mold is allowed to establish because there is no air-flow.


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