# Winter is fast approaching



## meaganelise9 (Oct 16, 2011)

So up until now, I've had a fairly easy time catching a variety of bugs for the kiddos. In fact, it's been nice having to get back out into nature and look closely at things. But as the weather gets colder in stupid Wisconsin, the bugs are slim pickin's. How do you guys deal with not having bees and other flying insects around except the bugs you can purchase from stores? And do you have a favorite place to order feeder bugs from online?


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## gripen (Oct 16, 2011)

i go to petco for crix and fruit flies.


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## Psychobunny (Oct 16, 2011)

I order all my feeders online.

My personal favorite place to get ff's is Josh's Frogs. For roaches, it's "roaches R Us.com", and cricks

I get from a few places.

I freaked out this morning because it is getting cool here too.

This morning, I got out of bed, it was 69F! I like to keep the room temp at about 78 in the living

room were my mantids are, but it was 69F.

So I turned the heat on to warm the house up.

Of course, they are all on Bean Farm UTH's at 90F, so the ones closest to the heat sorce will not

get cold.


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## angelofdeathzz (Oct 16, 2011)

I use Mantisplace.com for house flies and BB's.


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## patrickfraser (Oct 16, 2011)

I raise my own


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## massaman (Oct 16, 2011)

For most of my mantids I can go out and catch small and larger flies that cling to the bark of trees and can find alot of them when things are slim and if your in any areas with trees thats one thing you can do and use deli cups to hold the flies till you can get them to the mantids in question as I use empty deli cups to catch and hold flies and other insects till I am ready to feed the mantids as soon as they are caught and some do escape but not hard to capture them again in my apartment but depending where you keep them and all and does not hurt to check outside esp on cool or mild days as flies tend to be in mass numbers clingling to trees and what not and I purchase my fruit flies from joshs frogs being they never disappoint me that much!


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## twolfe (Oct 16, 2011)

Psychobunny &amp; Massaman, have you had problems with mites in the cultures from Josh Frogs? When I received my only ff order from them, I had so many mites in one culture that I tossed it without ever using it. I am happy with the terrariums, frogs and other supplies from Josh Frogs.

Meaganelise9, it's too bad Madison isn't closer to the Twin Cities! Some of my mantids prefer bees over flies, and they will miss them over the winter. I try to keep my own fruit fly cultures going, and I buy my flies from Grubco and mantisplace.com.


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## agent A (Oct 16, 2011)

at this time of the year here, i can catch dozens of hooverflies on black eyed susan

on warm days, bottleflies also like the flowers and are also in large numbers around yew trees


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## massaman (Oct 16, 2011)

nope never had mite problems on any cultures I ordered from them!


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## meaganelise9 (Oct 16, 2011)

Thanks folks. Winter is pretty bleak here. Haha maybe I should make friends with a beekeeper.


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## PhilinYuma (Oct 16, 2011)

Patrick makes a good point. I just doubled up the fly food on two plastic 64 oz storage boxes already containing food and maggots to make four. No smell, i acn store two in a single cube and there will be a week's supply by the end of the week. Patrick and I have both posted our method on the forum in the past. I use 6 cups of ground cat food with 25+% protein and a cup of brewer's yeast and a tablespoon of Paraben, add water and wood chips, and that's it. Patrick's is even simpler, so consider giving it a try. And remember, when you breed flies, you're never alone


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## meaganelise9 (Oct 17, 2011)

Hahah thanks. I've got most of that stuff around the house too.


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## meaganelise9 (Oct 17, 2011)

PhilinYuma said:


> Patrick makes a good point. I just doubled up the fly food on two plastic 64 oz storage boxes already containing food and maggots to make four. No smell, i acn store two in a single cube and there will be a week's supply by the end of the week. Patrick and I have both posted our method on the forum in the past. I use 6 cups of ground cat food with 25+% protein and a cup of brewer's yeast and a tablespoon of Paraben, add water and wood chips, and that's it. Patrick's is even simpler, so consider giving it a try. And remember, when you breed flies, you're never alone


Wait.. what the heck kind of cat food only has 25% protein? That's awful cat food.


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## PhilinYuma (Oct 17, 2011)

I did say, 25+% !  

The food i am using now is called "Cat Food" (!) by Shoppers [sic] Value, and it has a "guaranteed minimum crude protein of 27%"

But the flies don't mind, honest, especially since i am adding 16+% brewer's yeast!


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## lunarstorm (Oct 18, 2011)

My cats would cry if I started feeding their food to flies (hrm - something to try someday?) And I had to peek at our vet recommended cat food and was glad to see that it's &gt; 25% as it costs a small fortune. heh

If I ever raise flies it'll be with the Shoppers Value Choice OnSale-BlueLight-Generica with 25%+ protein. But it makes me wonder... If I bought the absolute *cheapest*, easily obtainable cat fly food I can find, would the resulting flies display any noticeable difference?


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## Psychobunny (Oct 18, 2011)

Tammy Wolfe said:


> Psychobunny &amp; Massaman, have you had problems with mites in the cultures from Josh Frogs? When I received my only ff order from them, I had so many mites in one culture that I tossed it without ever using it. I am happy with the terrariums, frogs and other supplies from Josh Frogs.
> 
> Meaganelise9, it's too bad Madison isn't closer to the Twin Cities! Some of my mantids prefer bees over flies, and they will miss them over the winter. I try to keep my own fruit fly cultures going, and I buy my flies from Grubco and mantisplace.com.


Hmmm, no, I have never had a problem with anything from Josh's. In fact, he starts the plain culture kits before he ships

them were it says on his web site that the buy has to provide the ff's to start the culture going.

For some reason, his last longer!! maybe it's what he puts in the media, I dont know!!??


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## joshsfrogs (Oct 18, 2011)

Tammy,

Judging by your order date (June) and your shipping choice (2 day service) I'm guessing your culture got cooked in transit so the mites took it over. We only guarantee live arrival with 2nd day shipping options when your temps are below 85 degrees. Hotter than that, and it usually cooks the flies.

Grain mites (little white mites) are in all fruit fly cultures and most every grain product in your house (you eat tons of them in your cereal). They "take over" when the fruit flies aren't able to out-compete them.

Fruit Fly mites are red/brown and are what are called "predatory mites". They are specific to fruit fly pupae and eat the inside of the pupae resulting in cultures with lots of pupae, but nothing ever hatching.

Then, there are mites that attack plants (like spider mites) and mites that attack animals (like the mites you find on reptiles).

Anyways, Tammy, please give us another chance with the weather warming up. I think you will see why we do more 32 oz fruit fly cultures than anyone else.


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## hibiscusmile (Oct 18, 2011)

humm, Hi josh! I also ordered from you before and the mites were really huge! See your post for "other feedback" a few of us have posted to it. We love ya Josh, but not your flies! :tt2: ps, before Rick sees you here, please post in introduction forum.


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## kmsgameboy (Oct 20, 2011)

meaganelise9 said:


> So up until now, I've had a fairly easy time catching a variety of bugs for the kiddos. In fact, it's been nice having to get back out into nature and look closely at things. But as the weather gets colder in stupid Wisconsin, the bugs are slim pickin's. How do you guys deal with not having bees and other flying insects around except the bugs you can purchase from stores? And do you have a favorite place to order feeder bugs from online?


Like you I catch wild prey for my mantids. I used to just get them in the spring and summer and keep them until they died and just didnt keep any during the cold months but now I raise Lobster Roaches and can keep the buggies year round. I have actually enjoyed the roaches. I find them interesting to watch since they always move around and even noticed they have social habbits. My adult Lobsters will stop and bend their bodies so that their wings stick up and other roaches will climb up to them and clean under the wings. I find Lobsters a good choice because they breed at a nice rate giving you all shapes and sizes and have more "meat" in them than some other roaches. Some people dont like that they can climb but I find this to be a plus when they are in a mantis enclosure. If you want some or have any questions you can PM me.


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## meaganelise9 (Oct 22, 2011)

heheh eeep. I think that would really creep me out. Even crickets kind of creep me out (yet mantids don't). :lol:


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## lancaster1313 (Oct 22, 2011)

Roaches are great for winter feedings. You just have to have the right species. Anything that is active and can climb is easier to feed, but harder to contain. Not that they will escape, but you just have to modify properly. With an active climbing species, sealing pet food containers work great. Just use a hole saw, sand paper, some fine metal screening, and Hot glue gun.

After drilling the ventilation holes, use the sand paper to rough up the plastic so the glue will adhese better than it would to a smooth surface, (a serraded knife can rough it up good enough, too). Hot glue the screen to the prepared plastic, make it safe and nicer looking by folding under the prickly parts of screen and gluing them under as well. Wash it good, and set it up for the roaches.

The reason I use Hot glue and not low temp, is because if you need to keep the roaches heated, the low temp glue will fail and ruin the integrity of your container, causing escapes. I also use vaseline to keep alot of them from hanging around in the top, ready to run. LOL Clear topped containers are the best because you can see where the roaches are before you open it.  

I have never had roaches waiting to make a run for it, but I am a real stickler for containment. Usually they run straight down into the substrate that I provide. They like their home if they are spoiled with the right conditions and foods.


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## angelofdeathzz (Oct 22, 2011)

Vaseline to keep them from the top, Very Good Idea! Did you by chance read "Praying mantis keeping Aliens"? ^_^


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## meaganelise9 (Nov 27, 2011)

Ha I need to pick up that book one of these days. I don't know what it is about roaches that creeps me out so bad. Luckily, I have a good little reptile store down the street with them for when I change my mind. I'm going to try springtails too. Anyone ever use these? I ordered a culture from Josh's. I'm also trying to get some wax worms to cocoon, but the worms don't seem to be surviving well. Maybe I put the food in before it had cooled enough. hrmm. Stupid Wisconsin is like a barren wasteland for fluttery flappity foods right now.


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## meaganelise9 (Nov 27, 2011)

Here's another question: Has anyone ever kept Jewel Wasps? I'm looking at carolina.com and they're $13 for 50 and it says they can't sting humans and can feed on houseflies. On the other hand, the term "parasitic wasp" is rather intimidating. What if Ms. sassypants Idolo doesn't care for them? Then I have 50 parasitic wasps on my hands.


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## crucis (Nov 28, 2011)

I googled and found this  







.. and mantids are very close relatives of cockroaches.. lol so be careful with those wasps!


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## patrickfraser (Nov 28, 2011)

SCARED OF THAT!


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## meaganelise9 (Nov 28, 2011)

Yikes. K, those are scary guys.


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## meaganelise9 (Nov 28, 2011)

Has anyone used silkworms or the moths they turn into?


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## lancaster1313 (Nov 28, 2011)

The silkworms and moths don't move a whole lot, but I guess you could get mantids to eat them if you have patience. I don't think that the moths can even fly, but they flutter and turn if they are disturbed.

The wasp looks so pretty. I am not sure that I would be able to feed them to anything even if it wasn't dangerous.


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## meaganelise9 (Nov 28, 2011)

They are kinda pretty. I never expected wasps to be good-looking. I keep trying to think of other flying food as my Idolo gets bigger. I tried to give her a cricket once, and she acted like I was trying to KILL her. Drama queen.


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## rs4guy (Nov 29, 2011)

Over here in Mass, I have been seeing huge amounts of small brown moths in the area. They get very active at dusk/early evening, and can be found all over outside.


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## Termite48 (Nov 29, 2011)

My humble advise is to at least, and at first get some reliable Hydeis from Rebecca (Mantisplace) and do this: Feed only what you need to and then divide the rest into three or more parts. Use 32 oz. deli-cups with vented lids. Using instant potato flakes make up some of the potatoes enough for an inch of it in the bottom of the cup. I add the following before micro-waving: 1 tablespoon of Brewer's yeast powder, a squeeze of real lemmon juice, and a tablespoon of vinegar. Then to get it to cool quicker I add another bit of vinegar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and one teaspoon of honey. I then place a little raffia or excelsior in the container, add at least 40 flies (once it is cool enough) and let it sit for for five or six days. You should see the little wiggly larva in six days. Then they will pupate, then they will eclose into some Hydeis and for some weird reason, sometimes they change into others species. I have never had them turn into mantids. The last couple of sentences are more for making a few people wonder how an educated person could write such. Some things are for entertainment value. This is a paraphrase of something Rick wrote. You can feed off the flies you put in the culture after you see the larvae, if you really need them for feeders.


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