# Daily Routine



## sk8erkho (May 24, 2007)

Anyone else have little daily mantid related routines in effect. Like because my place is fairly spacious but not like with a house w/backyard, I let all of my mantids out daily. Like the smallest Chinese and orchids are like L1-3 or so and don't tend to do much exploring when I let them out. SO, I put them on my vines I have running along the windows and other plants and they find a spot and when I return later though they may have moved, it's not really much farther than a few leaves away. The larger L4-5s tend to climb and wander (still not very far from their starting point). Sometimes, when they get a little stubborn after spending the day out I leave them trapped on the window over night by pulling the blinds all of the way down and they seem okay the next day. My original intention when I inherited these little dudes was to release them into the wild (so to speak) when the weather changed, like now. But, that was before I found out just how interesting this whole mantid rearing thing really is. The last pet in the world I would ever have expected to care for would be these mantids!! Before now, we (my little guys and I) had no idea just how huge this whole thing is and spans!! Awesome!!! :wink: My guest are just as blown away as I am when they come in and see these "bugs" scattered around my crib. They're all like,"dude, are those bugs on your window, just out like that??!!" So, for my mantids I figured since the "wild" is now out of the question just letting them roam the crib is the next best thing. I think the furthest I've found the wanderers is on my guitar on the other side of the living room since there's really not too many serious hiding places. At least not in total other rooms, like my kitchen or bathroom :shock:, so it kind of works . My little guys are always like, "hey you forgot to let this one or that one out!" And when I'm not here they continue the mantid care as if I were right there. So, the mantids usually in pretty good hands! :wink:


----------



## wuwu (May 24, 2007)

yes, i also "walk" my mantids three times a day. i've potty trained them to go outside. :lol:


----------



## Rick (May 24, 2007)

:lol: I believe it is best not to handle mantids. Mine only come out for mating and cage cleaning which is not very often. I fed every other day and mist most days. Thats my routine.


----------



## Butterfly (May 24, 2007)

I usually get home and take them outside in their cages, They all fit in one big tray. That way I can mist them and check for sheds, and feed them without my mom spazzing about a loose fruit fly on the counter or floor. I pick a couple up and let them wander a bit on my hand but thats about it.

We have cats inside that chase anything :twisted: , So no loose bugs in my place!


----------



## sk8erkho (May 24, 2007)

Not trying to be funny, Rick. Why is it not a good idea to handle them? Straight curious question. I know the question of whether they have the capacity to become "familiar" with the handler has still yet to be proved or disproved but is there some detrimental reason here I have not foreseen?


----------



## AFK (May 24, 2007)

i like how you refer to your mantis room as your crib and how you refer to yourself as a "ho."

8)


----------



## Way.Of.The.Mantis (May 25, 2007)

Hah! Im enjoying sk8erkho's contributions... :lol:


----------



## OGIGA (May 25, 2007)

I certainly like to play with my mantises, but it doesn't seem like it's best for them. It's so easy to injure them and I have to keep it from going to certain places. I'm always scared that I'll accidentally squish them.


----------



## Asa (Jun 1, 2007)

I handled my mantids daily until they became adults. The only real way to handle them is to let them crawl from one hand to another. Some species, with tougher bodies, can have a small leash attached to them. I never did it though, it seemed to cruel. And dangerous, what if you pulled its neck off? When they became adults, they wouldn't let me handle them anymore.  Enjoy them while you can.


----------



## OGIGA (Jun 2, 2007)

Heh, the leash idea didn't work too well for mine when it was L6. I don't think I need to try again.


----------



## buddhistsoldier88 (Jun 2, 2007)

whys did it not work too well?


----------



## OGIGA (Jun 2, 2007)

I tried using a thread and tying the mantis' thorax below the arms. Well, before I finished tying it, the mantis got really scared and starting trying to get loose by swinging its head and arm everywhere. It got really tangled up and I had a hard time loosening it up. In the end, the mantis chewed through the thread and got free.


----------



## wuwu (Jun 2, 2007)

why would you wanna put a leash on a mantid!? :lol:


----------



## OGIGA (Jun 2, 2007)

I want to let my mantises walk around but don't want to lose them and have them starve to death. Or worse, accidentally smash them.


----------



## wuwu (Jun 2, 2007)

> I want to let my mantises walk around but don't want to lose them and have them starve to death. Or worse, accidentally smash them.


mantis are not active insects at all, so i don't think there is a need for that.


----------



## OGIGA (Jun 2, 2007)

When I do let them out, they definitely walk around everywhere.


----------



## Asa (Jun 2, 2007)

> When I do let them out, they definitely walk around everywhere.


Yeah, mine are also rather active.


----------



## sk8erkho (Jun 6, 2007)

Well, only once i managed to loose one and it was when i went to clean the tank. The little Ghost fella jumped out and took of into the abyss which is my bedroom closet. It was only L1 so you can imagine the horror!!! :shock: But, since then I have not haad any problems letting them out. They all seem to dig their spots and not venture far from where I put them.


----------



## Way.Of.The.Mantis (Jun 6, 2007)

> Well, only once i managed to loose one and it was when i went to clean the tank. The little Ghost fella jumped out and took of into the abyss which is my bedroom closet. It was only L1 so you can imagine the horror!!! :shock: But, since then I have not haad any problems letting them out. They all seem to dig their spots and not venture far from where I put them.


Sometimes I just lie back and watch tv with them, we've had the occasional game of poker too, although they prefer monopoly, as the poker chips are a bit too large to handle.. :wink:


----------



## markdneck (Jun 6, 2007)

He's a college professor at UCI, has his Mantids run on a treadmill device he built for 5 or 6 minutes every other day, uses a little harness to keep them on course. He says the exercise gives them the running experiece they would have chasing prey in nature and makers them healthier and better breeders with longer lives. He is going to publish a book, a study of the effect of exercise on predatory insects. I have seen some of the pictures and videos. Very impressive! The before and after pictures are particularly impressive.


----------



## DeShawn (Jun 6, 2007)

I handle mine all the time, especially when they are larger. They all have their own distinct personalities. Some seem to like being held, others want nothing to do with you, others just don't seem to care either way. I also use to feed them by hand, but after a few run-ins with some mantids that have severely bad aim I decided against that. Sometimes I tie a cricket or roach (roaches are better for this) to string and drag it around my table while my mantid chases it. Pretty funny to watch. If I can find one of the videos I will post it. Works best with African mantids. They will chase down anything.


----------



## Asa (Jun 6, 2007)

> He's a college professor at UCI, has his Mantids run on a treadmill device he built for 5 or 6 minutes every other day, uses a little harness to keep them on course. He says the exercise gives them the running experiece they would have chasing prey in nature and makers them healthier and better breeders with longer lives. He is going to publish a book, a study of the effect of exercise on predatory insects. I have seen some of the pictures and videos. Very impressive! The before and after pictures are particularly impressive.


Do you know where I could find some of those pictures and videos? It sounds really cool. I can't believe your mantids will just sit still, sk8erkho.


----------



## Way.Of.The.Mantis (Jun 7, 2007)

> > He's a college professor at UCI, has his Mantids run on a treadmill device he built for 5 or 6 minutes every other day, uses a little harness to keep them on course. He says the exercise gives them the running experiece they would have chasing prey in nature and makers them healthier and better breeders with longer lives. He is going to publish a book, a study of the effect of exercise on predatory insects. I have seen some of the pictures and videos. Very impressive! The before and after pictures are particularly impressive.
> 
> 
> Do you know where I could find some of those pictures and videos? It sounds really cool. I can't believe your mantids will just sit still, sk8erkho.


Me too please!


----------



## AFK (Jun 7, 2007)

> He's a college professor at UCI, has his Mantids run on a treadmill device he built for 5 or 6 minutes every other day, uses a little harness to keep them on course. He says the exercise gives them the running experiece they would have chasing prey in nature and makers them healthier and better breeders with longer lives. He is going to publish a book, a study of the effect of exercise on predatory insects. I have seen some of the pictures and videos. Very impressive! The before and after pictures are particularly impressive.


i wanna see too!


----------



## HempKnight (Jun 7, 2007)

I can honestly say that I think insects can get familiar with humans. I base this off my experience with tarantulas. Now some species are going to be aggressive no matter what like the Haplopelma lividum or the Baboon species. Some other species will tolerate being held though. You can tell that a tarantula that was held often when it was young is less skittish or even scared when it’s pulled out of its home. It’s still hard to say because insects are insects and they live off instinct. Once in a while one will just bite just because of a feeder response, same with snakes and other reptiles. I can’t really say mantids are the same though because all I have is babies so far. :shock:


----------



## babynik14 (Jun 9, 2007)

mine only is in her cage at night, other then that shes out to do whatever she wants.. she just hangs out in teh area and chills and does whatever she wants.. she has never gone anywhere else then her usual spots


----------



## Way.Of.The.Mantis (Jun 9, 2007)

Does she put the seat down?


----------

