# Enclosures and Housing: The Basics



## Precarious (Aug 29, 2011)

Hiya!   

I'm here to give you the basics of keeping your mantis happy. If you are new to keeping mantids this is a great place to start!

There are a few things you need to keep in mind when deciding how to house your new pet(s). First off, most mantids *L* :tt1: *VE* to hang upside-down. They spend nearly their whole life hanging from the ceiling of whatever enclosure you put them in. So don't be surprised by that.

With this in mind you could say the ceiling is the most important part of the enclosure. It's where they will spend the majority of their time. AND they will most likely molt from the ceiling too, so make sure it is a material they can grip really well. Many mantis species can't grip smooth plastic and even if they can plastic is not an ideal surface to molt from. Choose something with a natural texture, like twigs, bark or branches. For most species, nylon or wire screen is also a good choice, or any kind of cloth mesh like they use for mesh laundry bags. You can glue it or use wire ties to hold it in place.

I get these at the dollar store...







*Bonus Points*: Guess how much they cost.  :smarty: 

If your mantis is small enough a 16 or 32 oz deli cup will do just fine. Use a cloth lid if you have a species that requires high humidity or if you need to keep fruit flies in. Otherwise a screen lid will allow better ventilation. It's also a good idea to make a hole in a cloth lid and plug it with some foam or paper towel. That way you can feed and mist your pet without taking off the lid. That eliminates the danger of accidentally pinching their legs in your rush to keep the food from escaping. A feeding hole is absolutely essential when dealing with a group of young nymphs. I use a funnel to dump in fruit flies. Works like a charm!






Blepharopsis mendica nymph in 16 oz deli cup with cloth lid, sponge-plugged feeding hole, screen wall and bark for climbing.






Sinomantis denticulata in 32 oz deli cup with cloth lid, sponge-plugged feeding hole, and cork bark wall.

The second most important part of your enclosure is how your mantis will climb to and from the ceiling. It's good to have at least one branch or vine they can climb all the way up in case they fall or need to climb down to food. One branch is fine for a deli cup. I like to hot glue a square of screen or cork bark to the side. That way they'll always have a surface to climb without giving up any space. Some people just use sandpaper to add texture to the plastic. Whatever you decide, make sure your mantis can get up and down without much difficulty.

The third thing to consider is what to do with the floor. I usually use a square of paper towel or foam. It's a good way to hold humidity and very easy to clean. Personally, I don't recommend moss or any kind of substrate, especially in something as small as a deli cup. Too much trouble and potentially too much humidity in such a small space. If, on the other hand, you're making a nice big terrarium for your mantis moss is great. I like to keep a shallow dish of moss in my tanks. That way I can add water without wetting everything else in the tank, which helps prevent mold, and it's easy to take the dish out if you need to clean the moss. You don't want the floor too complicated because all that will do is give crickets and roaches more places to hide!

Oh, and there are net cages too which are great! Lay paper towel, add some branches and you're good to go. Just remember you'll have to mist more often if your pet needs higher than average humidity.

So that's it! Those are the basics; 

1.) a ceiling of material they can grip really well

2.) a means of going up and down

3.) something covering the floor that holds some humidity

The rest is a matter of personal taste. Some keep things as simple as possible. Others hot glue silk flowers and vines to spice things up. 

And some just go a little too far like these nutjobs...

Terrarium with lots of twigs

New Idolo Tank 

Welcome to SpongeWorld! 

More examples...






Sphodromantis viridis in enclosure made from 100 count DVD spindle. The black base is now the lid which has been cut out and covered with screen. Paper towel in the bottom and screen glued to one wall. More room than a 32 oz deli cup!






Brunneria borealis in enclosures made from $1 food storage containers. One wall replaced with screen for better ventilation. Ceiling covered with mesh, rear wall covered with cork bark, branches and vines for climbing.






Idolomantis diabolica in converted storage bin. Ceiling covered with mesh and fitted with feeding hole. Side wall covered in cork bark, floor with paper towel, front wall replaced with screen, and vines for climbing.






Sphodromantis sp. adult female in Exo-Terra 12"x12"x12" tank. Screen covered in mesh, branched and vines floor to ceiling.






Idolomantis diabolica adult male in 12"x12"x18" Zoo Med tank. Ceiling covered with twigs, rear wall covered in bamboo place mat, walls lined with branches.


----------



## lancaster1313 (Aug 29, 2011)

I like the practical and inexpensive enclosure ideas in "The Basics".  

Where do you obtain the corkbark? I like the looks of it, and it looks like it will work for many of my other bugs.


----------



## PhilinYuma (Aug 29, 2011)

Yay! Another monster thread in the making, and high time too!

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm going to tag along behind your posts.

When do you move yr mantis from a 16oz pot to a 32oz pot? The rule of thumb is that the pot should be at least three times as tall as the mantis is long (SBL). If it isn't tall enough, the mantis will have trouble molting.

Net cages are an excellent and inexpensive housing for nymphs and communal mantids, though it is a good idea to sex a community and place the two sexes in different cubes as they get older. Are your mantids communal? Put "communal" into the search engine and see what everyone thinks.One key to success with these cubes is to keep them full of food to reduce cannibalism. They have a capacity of about 71/2 gallons.

People set up their cubes in different ways. Some, includig Rebecca, I believe, use the plastic side as the bottom to prevent water leakage, but I use plastic shelving, so I dont care. I orient the cubes so that the clear side is on my right and the zipper on the front closes with the thingy on the bottom. This means that when you introduce flies, they will fly upward and are less like ly to escape if you feed them from the bottom part of the cube.

Also, cubes don't support much weight and half a tree in there is not a good idea. Consider raffia (it comes in pretty colors as well as natural!) or palm fronds if you live where they are plentiful, though they should be bleached first to kill their "mico environment".

Finally, for thios post. If you are spending a fortune (!) on distilled water for your mister, you can use tap water when you are usinga net cube and you don't have to worry about caldium deposites (you'll get a lot of fly spit on the clear side, though)!

Oh, one more thing. You can feed the flies in yr cube by pouring a little honey on the mesh top and smooshing it with yur finger so that it penetrates the mesh. It will not drip if you distribute it thinly. The flies love it; the mantids may take a taste, and you can lick yr fingers when you're through. I won't tell!


----------



## lancaster1313 (Aug 29, 2011)

You mean I wasn't supposed to lick my honey flavored fingers?  :lol:


----------



## Precarious (Aug 29, 2011)

likebugs said:


> Where do you obtain the corkbark? I like the looks of it, and it looks like it will work for many of my other bugs.


I should have called it "cork roll" instead of bark. It's the same as the material used for bulletin boards. You can buy squares or rolls at Michael's or any other craft store. I initially got it for my Humbertiella ceylonica bark mantids since they prefer to perch vertically but ended up using it for others too. I kind of like that it looks more natural than screen but it does block light.

I have a little concern with whatever they use to glue the cork bark together as they give no information on the packaging, so I try not to encourage the mantids to drink from it. I was also a little concerned about molt but the Humbertiella like it very wet and so far no mold.


----------



## Precarious (Aug 29, 2011)

PhilinYuma said:


> Yay! Another monster thread in the making, and high time too!
> 
> I don't know about anyone else, but I'm going to tag along behind your posts.


Thanks for all the added data! There seems to be a lot of new people looking for basic information so I figured I'd give them what they need to get started. I remember what it was like starting out (a little over a year ago).


----------



## ShieldMantid1997 (Aug 29, 2011)

Very good information in that post! Personally i keep to the plain deli-cup look for single mantids but for groups i use vines and sponges such as my creo cage.


----------



## lancaster1313 (Aug 29, 2011)

Precarious said:


> I should have called it "cork roll" instead of bark. It's the same as the material used for bulletin boards. You can buy squares or rolls at Michael's or any other craft store. I initially got it for my Humbertiella ceylonica bark mantids since they prefer to perch vertically but ended up using it for others too. I kind of like that it looks more natural than screen but it does block light.
> 
> I have a little concern with whatever they use to glue the cork bark together as they give no information on the packaging, so I try not to encourage the mantids to drink from it. I was also a little concerned about molt but the Humbertiella like it very wet and so far no mold.


I guess if nothing bad has happened with it yet, then it should be fine. If I get some then I will leave it in the sun for a while. maybe it could clean it up a little, if it doesn't get brittle and break? :huh:


----------



## lunarstorm (Aug 29, 2011)

Awesome thread, thank you Precarious!


----------



## Precarious (Aug 29, 2011)

lunarstorm said:


> Awesome thread, thank you Precarious!


You are very much welcome. Glad to be of service.  



likebugs said:


> I guess if nothing bad has happened with it yet, then it should be fine. If I get some then I will leave it in the sun for a while. maybe it could clean it up a little, if it doesn't get brittle and break? :huh:


There is probably no toxicity in the materials. I haven't seen any indication of that, anyway. I worry about nothing a little too much so try not to inherit my paranoia.


----------



## lancaster1313 (Aug 29, 2011)

Precarious said:


> You are very much welcome. Glad to be of service.
> 
> There is probably no toxicity in the materials. I haven't seen any indication of that, anyway. I worry about nothing a little too much so try not to inherit my paranoia.


Too late!  I was already googling to try and find out what adhesive is used in agglomerated cork rolls. :lol: I can't seem to get an answer yet.


----------



## Precarious (Aug 30, 2011)

likebugs said:


> Too late!  I was already googling to try and find out what adhesive is used in agglomerated cork rolls. :lol: I can't seem to get an answer yet.


 :lol: Good luck. Let me know what you find.


----------



## twolfe (Aug 30, 2011)

Gee, that mesh laundry bag looks familiar. I guess it's because you gave me that tip a couple months ago. I glued one of them and some sticks to the top of one of my terrariums where I still have two Idolos. In my larger terrarium with most of my Idolos, I just slid the bag over the top. It stays nice and tight, and I can easily remove it if for cleaning and if I decide to use the terrarium for another purpose in the future.

Precarious, Thanks for all the effort you put into this. This gave me some ideas even though I've been doing this for 9 months now. Are you going to post a photo of those shelves you told me about for storing multiple net enclosures?

Phil, I have my net cubes oriented exactly the way you do and find that does work the best for flies and moths. No palm fronds here in Minnesota though.

OK. My bunnies are thumping. They are telling me to go to bed.


----------



## Precarious (Aug 30, 2011)

Tammy Wolfe said:


> Are you going to post a photo of those shelves you told me about for storing multiple net enclosures?


Sure, I guess this is as good a place as any...

For those of you that prefer net cages I found these closet organizers that are perfect shelving for the 12"x12" net cubes. Simple wire grid squares you clip together. Surprisingly sturdy. You can use them upright or lengthwise. I got mine at Target for $20 but they are a little cheaper at K-mart. Looks like most sites are now selling the 4 cube unit for almost $40 so grab one cheap while you can.

*Stor Floor Standing 6-Cube Storage Unit*

http://www.kmart.com...=1&amp;blockType=G1

I used to stack the cubes which is not very secure. I'm really happy I picked this up. If you've got a lot of net cubes I highly recommend picking one (or two) up!

One of the nice things about it is it doesn't block off any air flow and you can mist from any side! Try that with a regular shelf.  

Here I have a vine draped over it for loose mantids and you can see how simple it is to lay a light on the shelves. You don't even have to secure the lights.


----------



## d17oug18 (Aug 30, 2011)

Man you guys sacrafic a lot of space for your mantises dont you lol. I dont know how you do it, i dont have alot of space as it is, so seeing all those cages and net cubes for one mantis... =P


----------



## Precarious (Aug 30, 2011)

d17oug18 said:


> Man you guys sacrafic a lot of space for your mantises dont you lol. I dont know how you do it, i dont have alot of space as it is, so seeing all those cages and net cubes for one mantis... =P


I mostly use them for communal species and adult pairs. One of those has adult Ghosts, another has an adult pair of Sibylla pretiosa, adult pair of Popa spurca, Oxyopsis gracilis nymphs, etc. I seldom use them for a single mantis. They're great for pairs because the male has enough room to escape after mating.


----------



## sporeworld (Aug 30, 2011)

Great job! And your quality photos are a big plus!

Those shelves make the net cubes look very tasteful!


----------



## lancaster1313 (Aug 30, 2011)

Precarious said:


> Sure, I guess this is as good a place as any...
> 
> For those of you that prefer net cages I found these closet organizers that are perfect shelving for the 12"x12" net cubes. Simple wire grid squares you clip together. Surprisingly sturdy. You can use them upright or lengthwise. I got mine at Target for $20 but they are a little cheaper at K-mart. Looks like most sites are now selling the 4 cube unit for almost $40 so grab one cheap while you can.
> 
> ...


I am going to K-mart today! I have been looking for something that will fit my designated area, for a couple of months. I don't use net cages but I have a real problem keeping all of my containers organized, and that looks like it will fit nicely in my spot!


----------



## ismart (Aug 30, 2011)

Great job Precarious! This is very informative!


----------



## Precarious (Aug 30, 2011)

likebugs said:


> I am going to K-mart today! I have been looking for something that will fit my designated area, for a couple of months. I don't use net cages but I have a real problem keeping all of my containers organized, and that looks like it will fit nicely in my spot!


You may have to lay cardboard or something over the grids if you're using them for smaller containers. Even still, hard to find that much shelving for that price.


----------



## lunarstorm (Aug 30, 2011)

Thanks! I just ordered two of the cube storage units. One for the home office mantis setup (I do think I'll get a couple of 12"x12" net cubes at some point) and another to add a cheap organizer for elsewhere in my house.


----------



## PhilinYuma (Aug 30, 2011)

C'mon , experienced mantiseers! Precarious has gotten us off to a great start;urely there is some aspect of his post that you can expand on! You could even make up one for yourself.

He mentions the importance of placing ports in deli cups. I completely agree, but they don't come with ports, so you have to, gasp, make yr own! There have been long discussions on this before, but here is my, "I'm stuck with fifty lids nd I'd better bore them out" method -- I have just finished drilling 50, so I'm up to date.

The bung. It'sasier to fit the hole to the bung, so take care of that f9rst. If you buy a hundred 32 oz deli cups with lids (bulk discount) from Mantisplace) buy 200 foam bungs as well and save yourself a lot of work. I make my own from foam matress material, but it is a lot of work, though cheaper and more fun. To cut foam you need a pair of seriously large scissors.

To cut a hole in the lid, all you really need is a pair of sharp, small, scissors. If you want to cut round holes, use a pair of cuticle scissors and cut inside the ring of eight holes around the center of the lid.You can also cut square holes, which makes life easier for me. The sponge is very forgiving, and a round sponge will fit into a swuare hole and vice versa. Just be sure that the hole is smaller than the sponge! When you do the same thing with a hole in the side of the pot, you will find that it is easy for the hole to turn into a crack, ruining the pot. This is a particular problem if you try to cut youtr holes with an Xacto blasde instaead of scissors. To avoid cracks and to start a hole in the lid, you can use a Dremel tool --or inerior copy(!) -- to bore a hole with a cone or "Christmas tree' burr. You can drill two ior three stacked lids at onvce like this, and it will start your first cut with the scissors. For the hole on the side, drill four small holes for the corners and cut to them This works like etxching the ends of a crack in your windshield; it stops the cut/crack from extending.

O.K.! Start ciuttoing. It wont do itself!


----------



## lancaster1313 (Aug 30, 2011)

lunarstorm said:


> Thanks! I just ordered two of the cube storage units. One for the home office mantis setup (I do think I'll get a couple of 12"x12" net cubes at some point) and another to add a cheap organizer for elsewhere in my house.


I just went to K-mart and picked one up today. I am loving that thing! I can't fit all of it into my spot, but now my kid has a little storage space, and I will be tie wrapping a couple of the square pieces inside a cube or two, to make shelves for my smaller containers!


----------



## lancaster1313 (Aug 30, 2011)

I do not consider myself to be all that experienced, but not a beginner either. I think I am somewhere in between, so here is a little something that I hope may help someone.

Sometimes when I get a crack in plastic, I just use low temp glue to seal it.

Also, with some of my thicker containers I use a hole saw bit on a drill, carefully.

A little tip about using low temp or hot glue for fastening screen or mesh for containment purposes:

I like to rough up the surface that I will be gluing if the plastic is smooth. Sandpaper or even scratching with a serraded knife can do this. I have had glued screen peel right off in places(resulting in escaped feeders, and 1 mantis) when I glued onto smooth surfaces. Do not rough up your surfaces if you don't want the results to be permanent.


----------



## Precarious (Aug 30, 2011)

Here's a tip:

When I'm cutting out lids (like in the DVD spindle) or whole walls to replace with screen I use a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel.












Box cutters and X-acto blades are dangerous when your using a lot of pressure and tend to split plastic. The cutting wheel works great! But don't use too high speed or the plastic melts and splatters all over. Always use safety glasses too. I almost got molten plastic in my eye last week! I was lucky I only burned my eyelid. nline2long: 






Apparently there are also attachments for soldering irons that can be used to cut plastic but I haven't been able to find any with good ratings. There are also tools called 'hot knives' dedicated to cutting styrofoam and plastic. If anyone finds a good one fill us in.


----------



## angelofdeathzz (Aug 31, 2011)

It was very good of you Precarious to take the time to share some of the basic knowledge that some of us/you have learned over time, all the new people here(and some older ones) should benefit greatly and more than likely have more "alive" and healthy pets that will like where they call home.

When using sticks or branches I like to use ones that have a soft bark on them so the claws(toes) can really dig in, so I use lilac since it has the soft bark and many off shoots per square foot which ends up being very good for molting on and giving them another branch very close to climb onto. If it works good for presub and sub adult Idolos it should work on any mantis out there.

You pretty well covered the enclosures but here's some I'll add just for the heck of it, all using lilac but any soft barked tree's will do just fine...

This could be done in any enclosure, not just store bought ones, and BTW all the branches were FREE and may be what they use in the wild I think. :smarty:  





















And one with a fresh molt next to them


----------



## lancaster1313 (Aug 31, 2011)

Precarious said:


> You may have to lay cardboard or something over the grids if you're using them for smaller containers. Even still, hard to find that much shelving for that price.


I was working with the shelving again this morning, putting small containers on it and all. It turns out that I don't need to lay anything on it to make things work for my smaller containers.

My unit looks slightly different than the one pictured, the grids may be slightly smaller, and it is black!

I have also found that the grids are useful for hanging hemostats, tongs, and other tools of the trade.  I am going to visit the dollar store to get few packs of climbers clips to make it easier to suspend lightweight tools and stuff.

Thanks for finding and sharing about this awesome product! It seems as if the possibilities are endless with it.


----------

