# Whats the best food to feed my L4 ghosts?



## beckyl92 (Jun 6, 2009)

I was gonna order some Drosophilia hyde fruit flies but would they not be too small?


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## Emile.Wilson (Jun 6, 2009)

house flies would probably be best option


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## beckyl92 (Jun 6, 2009)

Emile said:


> house flies would probably be best option


ive got a few to feed though so ited be hard to catch them daily and you can't buy them off the internet :/ i was recently feeding them extra small brown crickets but they all just died even though i gave them food and water.. pretty annoying.


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## beckyl92 (Jun 6, 2009)

i just found some mini meal worms on the internet (13-18mm) are they okay for ghost mantids?


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## PhilinYuma (Jun 6, 2009)

BeckyL said:


> ive got a few to feed though so ited be hard to catch them daily and you can't buy them off the internet :/ i was recently feeding them extra small brown crickets but they all just died even though i gave them food and water.. pretty annoying.


Yes you can! A number of merchants, like Mantis Place and SpiderPharm will send you housefly pupae.

Oops! I'd forgotten that you live in Manchester!

You might want to try:http://www.dragonscrest.co.uk/forums/other-flies/583-curly-wings-musca-domestica.html and p.m. some of the members who posted on it.


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## beckyl92 (Jun 6, 2009)

PhilinYuma said:


> Yes you can! A number of merchants, like Mantis Place and SpiderPharm will send you housefly pupae.Oops! I'd forgotten that you live in Manchester!
> 
> You might want to try:http://www.dragonscrest.co.uk/forums/other-flies/583-curly-wings-musca-domestica.html and p.m. some of the members who posted on it.


are mini meal worms a no for ghost mantids then? x) i hate flies


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## Katnapper (Jun 6, 2009)

House flies would be perfect. But I doubt buying pupae from MantisPlace or SpiderPharm would work with you in the UK. Mealworms are OK... if you can get the mantids to eat them! I only bought them once, and my mantids either weren't interested at all, turned up their nose at them, or ran away. But people do use them as feeders... so some mantids obviously will eat them!

Do you know of a place locally where they keep livestock, a farm, horse stables, garbage dump? Maybe you could get some flies at a place like one of these if you ask nicely.

Also there is the fish bait shop. Most sell spikes (fly maggots) for fishing bait. You could buy some of these and hatch the flies out yourself... keeping the excess in the fridge, taking them out as you need them.


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## beckyl92 (Jun 6, 2009)

Katnapper said:


> House flies would be perfect. But I doubt buying pupae from MantisPlace or SpiderPharm would work with you in the UK. Mealworms are OK... if you can get the mantids to eat them! I only bought them once, and my mantids either weren't interested at all, turned up their nose at them, or ran away. But people do use them as feeders... so some mantids obviously will eat them! Do you know of a place locally where they keep livestock, a farm, horse stables, garbage dump? Maybe you could get some flies at a place like one of these if you ask nicely.
> 
> Also there is the fish bait shop. Most sell spikes (fly maggots) for fishing bait. You could buy some of these and hatch the flies out yourself... keeping the excess in the fridge, taking them out as you need them.


I really don't think i could keep fly eggs in my fridge xD

my mum would freak out.

thanks for the reply hehe


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## cloud jaguar (Jun 6, 2009)

BeckyL said:


> I really don't think i could keep fly eggs in my fridge xDmy mum would freak out.


Just tell her they are "wild rice"


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## Katnapper (Jun 6, 2009)

Arkanis said:


> Just tell her they are "wild rice"


 :lol: Good idea, Roland!  Uhhh....  until her mum decides she wants to try it because she loves wild rice! :blink:


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## beckyl92 (Jun 6, 2009)

Katnapper said:


> :lol: Good idea, Roland!  Uhhh....  until her mum decides she wants to try it because she loves wild rice! :blink:


haha! xD

hmm what do you think would be better for ghost mantids meal worms or locust? i heard locust can fly and they like flying insects so yeah


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## Katnapper (Jun 6, 2009)

BeckyL said:


> haha! xDhmm what do you think would be better for ghost mantids meal worms or locust? i heard locust can fly and they like flying insects so yeah


I think they'd take to small locusts better. Just be sure they're not too big, as Ghosts seem to get scared easily by too large a food item. Kind of ironic, huh.... instead of Ghosts doing the scaring... :lol:


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## beckyl92 (Jun 6, 2009)

Katnapper said:


> I think they'd take to small locusts better. Just be sure they're not too big, as Ghosts seem to get scared easily by too large a food item. Kind of ironic, huh.... instead of Ghosts doing the scaring... :lol:


okay thanks  

they're not as annoying as crickets are they? i found it really hard to put a cricket in their cage ¬¬


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## Rick (Jun 6, 2009)

bluebottle flies


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## bassist (Jun 7, 2009)

Put the feeders in the fridge or freezer for a bit they slow down/pass out so it'll be easier to feed them to the mantises.

I feed fourth instar ghosts: Blue bottle flies, house flies, moths, small grasshoppers, spiders, and have one that is brave enough to take crane flies.


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## agent A (Jun 7, 2009)

BeckyL said:


> i just found some mini meal worms on the internet (13-18mm) are they okay for ghost mantids?


Mealworms are of no nutritional value to a mantis and are hard to digest.


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## superfreak (Jun 7, 2009)

> Mealworms are of no nutritional value to a mantis and are hard to digest.


Haha, no nutritional value? Really? Whats your source?


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## jameslongo (Jun 7, 2009)

agent A said:


> Mealworms are of no nutritional value to a mantis and are hard to digest.


ROFL


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## Geart (Jun 7, 2009)

Are fruitflies really to small ? I still feed my L5 ghost's with them.


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## superfreak (Jun 7, 2009)

no, theyre not, as long as your ghosts are eating them.


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## jameslongo (Jun 7, 2009)

superfreak said:


> no, theyre not, as long as your ghosts are eating them.


Olga's right  I've had adult mantids (Stagmomantis size) eat mosquitoes! Although you'd probably have to pump more Drosophila into the enclosure than you would bluebottles.


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## PhilinYuma (Jun 7, 2009)

superfreak said:


> no, theyre not, as long as your ghosts are eating them.


I agree of course, but remember the Superfreak Principle of Conservation of Energy that says that a mantis will use less energy if it catches the largest possible (manageable) prey and has to exert itself less often, and that the saved energy can be used for growth, egg production and studying for exams.


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## Katnapper (Jun 7, 2009)

PhilinYuma said:


> I agree of course, but remember the Superfreak Principle of Conservation of Energy that says that a mantis will use less energy if it catches the largest possible (manageable) prey and has to exert itself less often, and that the saved energy can be used for growth, egg production and studying for exams.


Lol...


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## superfreak (Jun 10, 2009)

okay, okay! back to study....  *grumble grumble*


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## ismart (Jun 10, 2009)

The common house fly _Musca domestica_ would be the best sized prey item for an L4 ghost nymphs.


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## yeatzee (Jun 10, 2009)

Mine thrive on house flies....I just bought some blue bottles to try out with em. I'll let you guys know how it works out and which they prefer.


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