# Do I feed honey or not!!? My mantis is dying.



## [email protected] (Jun 22, 2016)

I am a first time Chinese mom. I raised a little male nymph, and now he is adult (3 days ago molted) with dried  out wings. I am sure he is dehydrated.  He is drinking water, but is getting weaker and weaker. His head is hanging and he can barely walk. He will not eat.  I am afraid if I give honey, the honey will get stuck, or he will dehydrate more (as honey draws water to itself).  I was thinking of diluting honey for him to drink. 

Any ideas?

Thank tou!


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## Mantidaddicted (Jun 22, 2016)

You can try putting the honey to his lips and see if he eats a little. If he is drinking try mixing the honey with warm water so it dissolves and see how that works. Wait for the water to cool down before giving it to him though, did he have a bad molt?


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## [email protected] (Jun 22, 2016)

The molt was good. Then when he turned right side up to let his wings grow out, he was hanging from the mesh without anything under his back legs. I kept trying to place sticks under his legs, but then he would move.  His wings didn't completely grow out. 

I tried the dissolved honey.  He drank it, then he stopped with his mouth open and it seemed like he was gagging. . I wiped off what I could, and gave more water which he actually drank. He seems a little stronger now. But I don't know what else to do!

Thank you!


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## Rick (Jun 22, 2016)

I don't think it would hurt and some people swear by it so probably worth a try.


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## Mantidaddicted (Jun 22, 2016)

[email protected] said:


> The molt was good. Then when he turned right side up to let his wings grow out, he was hanging from the mesh without anything under his back legs. I kept trying to place sticks under his legs, but then he would move.  His wings didn't completely grow out.
> 
> I tried the dissolved honey.  He drank it, then he stopped with his mouth open and it seemed like he was gagging. . I wiped off what I could, and gave more water which he actually drank. He seems a little stronger now. But I don't know what else to do!
> 
> Thank you!


If you can see his little mouth moving he isn't gagging he should just be taking the honey down, it is a little thicker so it will take him a little more effort to consume it even with the water mixed. With one of my first mantids I put a drop of honey on my finger and put it to his lips, make sure the drop isn't big enough where it could fall off your finger on to his face, just hold it to his lips try to stay still, you should see his little mouth trying to eat it, try pulling away ever so slightly and if he goes towards the honey then he's into it.. I would definitely try and keep feeding him honey! And make sure it is *unfiltered honey*. I know A LOT of honeys filter, and that takes out all the good enzymes and bee pollen. It's a little more expensive then filtered honey but there's really no use to feed honey unless it has all the bee pollen and antibacterial elements to it.


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## Krymz1n (Jun 26, 2016)

Maybe try feeding him bloodworms I did that when my feeder colony failed and my mantids loved it


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## ashleenicole (Jun 27, 2016)

You might be able to entice him to eat by taking a cricket or worm in your feeding tongs and squishing it a bit to make it juicy before placing it to his mouth. This seems cruel, but I've found it works for weak mantids who don't seem interested or are unable to hunt down food anymore.


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