# Food for Baby Carolina Mantids



## Carolina (Mar 17, 2005)

I was planning to get some praying mantises out of my yard from the egg case, and I was wandering what I would feed them after they hatch. :?


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## Rick (Mar 18, 2005)

Fruit flies or pinhead crickets.


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## Carolina (Mar 18, 2005)

Where would I get Pinhead crickets?What are pinhead crickets?


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## Rick (Mar 18, 2005)

I think the fruit flies are better for very young mantids because they can climb up to the mantis. Pinhead crickets are just newborn crickets. You can order both online.


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## Exotic-Mantis (Mar 21, 2005)

Pinhead Crickets are not very good for Carolinas, i would suggest using pinhead crickets only for the much larger species nymphs such as, tenodera sinensis, hierodula membranacea, hierodula grandis and other very large species. As for young Stagmomantis Carolina, some flightless fruit flies are fine, and can be purchased at petco or online. If you live in a rather warmer area where insects are beginning to come out, try searching for Aphids in your backyard, they are small, green and come by the 100's in some plants. They are consumed by Lady bugs, so go where ever the Ladies are

Thanks

Eros N


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## Rick (Mar 21, 2005)

Pinheads are fine for carolinas as well as most other mantids. They are about the same size as fruit flies. However they crickets tend to stay near the bottom while the mantids will most likely stay at the top.


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## Exotic-Mantis (Mar 21, 2005)

Hey,

Hmmm, i would disagree on that, but to each its own. My opinion is that..... Pinhead crickets are somewhat bigger than fruit flies, and pinhead crickets are younger crickets and have the same additude as an older cricket, so if caught by a smaller mantis sp. and given the chance, the pinhead can and will turn and bite the mantis, i lost a very young nymph like that before.

Thanks

Eros


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## Rick (Mar 21, 2005)

Never had a problem here with it. Flies are a better food for nymphs I agree but the crickets will work as well.


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## Exotic-Mantis (Mar 21, 2005)

Hey,

Yeah, i can agree on that one. I do use crickets, just have to be careful with them and be sure not to use them as a staple diet. Crickets contain keratin which can be fatal when a female is fertile and nearing the time to lay a ooth. Keratin is the stuff finger nails are made out of and a female fed mainly on crickets can lay ooths that will harden too much and nymphs wont be able to hatch out.

Thanks

Eros


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## Rick (Mar 21, 2005)

Crickets are the staple food of all my mantids. I have never had the issue with ooths that you speak of.


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## Exotic-Mantis (Mar 21, 2005)

hey,

Hmmmm, i find that very strange. It's not guaranteed to happen but it does happen, luckily i've never witnessed it on any flower mantis, but i did witness it on a chinese mantis ootheca.

Thanks

Eros


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## Rick (Mar 21, 2005)

In the summer months I feed much more than crickets though. I go out one day a week and gather up wild grasshoppers for the mantids. But during the winter it is all crickets except for an occasional mealworm. My other half refuses to let me keep roaches


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## Exotic-Mantis (Mar 21, 2005)

Hey,

LOL, i understand how you feel. Yeah, i take advantage of summer and spring myself. During spring i find tons of baby grass hoppers, but they seem to dissapear after 3 weeks or so, i assume brids are aware of their presence aswell :wink:

(P.S- What mantids do you currently have Rick?)

Thanks

Eros


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## Rick (Mar 22, 2005)

Just chinese and carolina mantids of course. See the discussions in the general forum.


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