# some mantis feeding on roaches



## yen_saw (Jan 14, 2008)

Took some pics of mantis when feeding them roaches (_B. lateralis_), i have to say they love the roach!


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## spawn (Jan 14, 2008)

Nice pictures! Do you feed full sized roaches to all the mantids pictured? I have to use half size lobsters for my Gongylus female, or tear the legs off, because she doesn't like how strong and how much the roach moves its legs.

I sent you an email, by the way.


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## andy hood (Jan 14, 2008)

great photo's yen , stunning mantids too


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## yen_saw (Jan 14, 2008)

spawn said:


> Nice pictures! Do you feed full sized roaches to all the mantids pictured? I have to use half size lobsters for my Gongylus female, or tear the legs off, because she doesn't like how strong and how much the roach moves its legs.I sent you an email, by the way.


I feed them medium size roach, and leave the adult roaches breeding. I noticed that the _S. prestiosa _ootheca is larger when feeding roaches but that is just from one particular case.

I replied your e-mail Frank.



andy hood said:


> great photo's yen , stunning mantids too


Thanks Andy!


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## Mantida (Jan 14, 2008)

I bet my mantids would love roaches. Unfortunately, I don't.  

I can't believe I'm asking this but. Are they hard to breed?


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## Herper123 (Jan 14, 2008)

Roaches? No they are actually really easy depending on what species you get. Some of the larger ones take a bit longer to fully establsih themselvesbut some other are so easy that you could have multiple generations like a month.


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## spawn (Jan 14, 2008)

Easiest things to breed. Just takes time to mature and get a colony going. Don't want to feed too many of roaches that need to one day reproduce. Recommended over crickets in almost every respect.

Thanks Yen.


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## yen_saw (Jan 15, 2008)

Mantida said:


> I bet my mantids would love roaches. Unfortunately, I don't.  I can't believe I'm asking this but. Are they hard to breed?


Trust me i don't either  and my "boss" hates it too! would kill me if she sees any escape the bugroom.  

As Herper123 and Spawn stated, the feeder roaches like lobster roach and turkish red are easier to breed than mantis  



spawn said:


> Easiest things to breed. Just takes time to mature and get a colony going. Don't want to feed too many of roaches that need to one day reproduce. Recommended over crickets in almost every respect.Thanks Yen.


No problem Frank, all the best in breeding your _S. pretiosa _and_ S. dolosa_.


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## Malnra (Jan 15, 2008)

spawn said:


> Easiest things to breed. Just takes time to mature and get a colony going. Don't want to feed too many of roaches that need to one day reproduce. Recommended over crickets in almost every respect.Thanks Yen.


I am the opposite in that .. if a BUNCH of crickets escaped it would not be such a big deal as they would eat other bugs and eventually each other ... if a BUNCH of roaches got out, it would likely get very ugly very fast. My wife would FLIP OUT and that is an ugly thing.


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## spawn (Jan 15, 2008)

If you keep your wife in the dark on the names or species of animals you work with, you could probably get away with finding some species of roach that you could convince her is a species of large cricket perhaps. And crickets make SUCH a ruckus when they escape. My house sounds like a forest in the summer time. Roaches are cleaner and quiet. The only thing holding them back from more house holds is the mentality that, UGH THEY'RE COCKROACHES, unfortunately.


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## yen_saw (Jan 15, 2008)

My boss won't let me keep roaches that can climb glass or the type that fly at will so i am keeping only the non-climbing type.


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## Mantida (Jan 15, 2008)

yen_saw said:


> My boss won't let me keep roaches that can climb glass or the type that fly at will so i am keeping only the non-climbing type.


Ha ha Yen, I love how you say "my boss"


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