# Ghost oothes for newbies



## PeterF (Jan 8, 2011)

I have been blessed with 7 oothes so far from the ghosts I got from Spore, and I anticipate more.

As I only plan to hatch one, maybe two I was thinking of offering them cheap to new members.

---this is not an add, if interested do not PM me. If I decide to do it there will be a post in the sale forum.---

Anyway. My actual question is, is this sensible? Are they a species that people can reasonably hatch and raise with out a lot of effort or monetary investment?

I have read a bunch about it (as I do plan to hatch some) but having never done it I thought I would ask for opinions.

Seems do-able. Any opinions against?


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## GreenOasis (Jan 8, 2011)

Being something of a newbie myself, I will tell you that it couldn't be easier! Just mist once a day &amp; they'll hatch! I've hatched two of the three I recently bought &amp; just have one more to go!


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## GreenOasis (Jan 8, 2011)

Oh...and I *do* keep them in my warm herp room, btw! (About 75-80 degrees)


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## geckoboy3 (Jan 8, 2011)

Is that the "common" mantis that garden stores sell (the eggs?) Where I live they're easy to find as egg cases but few hatch out because idiots leave them out for the birds :excl: I've hatched a few, never reared them, though.


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## warpdrive (Jan 9, 2011)

hisseman said:


> Is that the "common" mantis that garden stores sell (the eggs?) Where I live they're easy to find as egg cases but few hatch out because idiots leave them out for the birds :excl: I've hatched a few, never reared them, though.


yes, the ooths that are sold in garden stores are normally Chinese mantid ooths (or eggs).

Harry


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## warpdrive (Jan 9, 2011)

Peter, I'm going to say this as simple as I can...

I'm probably the newest member here that comes to this website at least once per day in the hopes of learning a few things.

if anything, I think we can all agree that I'm about as dumb as a rock. :blink: 

here is my ghost ooth that I got from Precarious just a month after I first had any mantids at all ( oh, the video was also recorded on my birthday  )...

Harry


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## hibiscusmile (Jan 9, 2011)

NO, this is not the common mantis sold in garden centers, the chinese is the common mantis they sell.


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## Katnapper (Jan 9, 2011)

Peter J F said:


> I have been blessed with 7 oothes so far from the ghosts I got from Spore, and I anticipate more.
> 
> As I only plan to hatch one, maybe two I was thinking of offering them cheap to new members.
> 
> ...


Do you think the ooths have a good chance of being fertile (did you put males and females together and actually witness mating)? If yes, even so remember there is no guarantee of hatching with ooths.

Your plan sounds reasonalble, and is what many people do when they end up with more possibly fertile ooths than they want.

Yes, this species is a fine beginner species, in my opinion, and people can (and do) raise them successfully. It does take a bit of attention, effort, and not a not unreasonable amount of investment. Potential keepers would need to acquire, buy, or make suitable housing and make sure they have adequate temperature and humidity conditions for the ooths to hatch. Afterwards, acquiring live food and the actual task of feeding them on an ongoing basis will be a primary consideration with time and money. But anyone thinking of hatching an ooth (or ooths) will hopefully have already done (or will be doing) their research, and be committed to taking on these tasks and the financial responsibilities.


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## davestreasurechest (Jan 9, 2011)

as with any hatchlings ,have plenty of fruitflies on hand and active culture ,before they hatch


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## warpdrive (Jan 10, 2011)

buginthebox said:


> as with any hatchlings ,have plenty of fruitflies on hand and active culture ,before they hatch


or have way too many wild fruitflys buzzing around the house.  

Harry


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## sporeworld (Jan 10, 2011)

I think Ghosts are GREAT beginner-to-itermediate mantids. One ooth typically produces a lovely colony (arguably, until subadult, at least). If the new owners are prepared to manage house flies (and maybe Blue Bottles) later in their development, I'd say it's a great match.

Good luck!


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## dgerndt (Jan 10, 2011)

warpdrive said:


> or have way too many wild fruitflys buzzing around the house.
> 
> Harry


Eeew! lol. My mom would FREAK.


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## nebrakacinese (Jan 13, 2011)

All of mine have molted to L3,very cool to look at and watch.I was wondering though if it's feasible just to buy the pupae to hatch and feed them.In the spring I'll go out and catch some food for them ,as I like to get out on the trails anyhow.Last fall a guy ask'ed me if I was a biologist. LOL


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## warpdrive (Jan 13, 2011)

Deby said:


> Eeew! lol. My mom would FREAK.


well, Warpdrive extermination sevice makes house calls to Michigan.

have wild fruit flys? we have plenty of mantids to eat the flys.

have roaches in your kitchen? we free range geckos so no pestisides can harm your family.  

have too many house flys escape? no problem. we at Warpdrive extermination will come with a few Chameleons and get rid of them safely and in just hours.

costs depend on travel and what suplys are needed. showing me your colection and feeding me dinner grants discounts.

Harry


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## nebrakacinese (Jan 13, 2011)

Do youn tackle rodent problems with pythons and king snakes.I was once asked to do this(about 15yrs. ago)honest,by the way I said no.


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## PeterF (Jan 16, 2011)

Katnapper said:


> Do you think the ooths have a good chance of being fertile (did you put males and females together and actually witness mating)? If yes, even so remember there is no guarantee of hatching with ooths.
> 
> Your plan sounds reasonalble, and is what many people do when they end up with more possibly fertile ooths than they want.


The oothes continue to come.

They are most likely fertile. They were kept as two colonies which included males. I certainly saw some mating going on.

Is it unreasonable to sell them with the warning that I do not know for certain that they are fertile? Is $5 per ooth plus $5 shipping unreasonable in that circumstance?

Should I sell them in twos for reasons of balancing fertility? Like, $13 for two (including shipping)?

Mostly, it isn't something I would bother with. But I do want the oothes to find homes.


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## hibiscusmile (Jan 16, 2011)

as I like to get out on the trails anyhow.Last fall a guy ask'ed me if I was a biologist. LOL

Wait till they see you running around with a big net, they will call the men in white! :lol:


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## Katnapper (Jan 16, 2011)

Peter J F said:


> The oothes continue to come.
> 
> They are most likely fertile. They were kept as two colonies which included males. I certainly saw some mating going on.
> 
> ...


Your proposed prices are not unreasonable, actually very cheap considering you witnessed some mating. Since you kept the mantids in colonies (I'm assuming you aren't sure which ooths are from which females you saw being mated), there is a chance not all of the females were mated... but they all could have been too. If not separating and keeping track of individuals, however... you just don't have as clear a picture of likely fertility of any one ooth. Keeping track of the probable fertility of individual female mantids and their respective ooths (by witnessing dedicated mating of each female, and from which female the ooths have come... in addition to which ooth in succession, is it their first ooth laid, second, etc., and did the first ooth of this female hatch) will command higher prices.

I think selling them in twos to increase the chance of at least one being fertile is a good idea. I like to keep the first ooth a female lays and see if it hatches before offerring sucessively laid ooths. But due to the communal colonies, you may not have the option of knowing which female laid which ooth.

I would just make sure you let prospective buyers know the background of the ooths (communally kept, possibly fertile as saw some mating going on, etc.) and clearly state whether or not you will guarantee them (with refund or replacement) in event of no hatching. It's no crime to not offer a guarantee (buyer takes the chance of no hatch at their own risk).... especially at such a good price. The only thing I would highly advise is not to wait until the last minute to advertise, sell, and ship them to avoid hatching in the post (if your shipping containers are not specifically designed to take this chance into account).


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## PeterF (Jan 18, 2011)

Thank you all very much.

One other thing, does the ooth need a heat pack during shipping? Considering the time of year and what not? Or are they resistant enough to cold temps? I would lean toward heat pack, but if I can cut a dollar off the buyer's price then they might like that (if safe).

Also, do the ghost oothes look normal when infertile? Such as, the european oothes usually look funny or mangled if unmated.


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