# Need help feeding



## shadownet (Mar 7, 2005)

Okay.....I'm trying to get crickets.But my little one isn't eating the dead mantis.He started him but didn't finish.What the heck are pinhead crickets?I can get crickets but I have no clue what kind they are.Sorry for any stupid thing i've said by the way..I'm new at this and very frustrating.... :lol: :lol: Please reply.I have no where to turn...

Shadownet


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## Rick (Mar 7, 2005)

Pinhead crickets are tiny, very young (newly born) crickets.


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## shadownet (Mar 8, 2005)

Are Field crickets okay?


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## shadownet (Mar 8, 2005)

I also heard on a site if you put food in there face they'll eat it.Is this true?


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## jonballs (Mar 8, 2005)

look at the size of your nymph if the "feild cricket" is bigger it aint gonner fit, i only feed fruit flys and micro/pinhead crickets to my nymphs, as to feeding by hand.... good luck ........ i`ve never had a lot of sucsess with this method and have onlt tryed it with full grown or sub adut

keep us all posted as i`m sure a lot of us are following this topic with interest.

jon


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## Rick (Mar 8, 2005)

Doubt you will be able to hand feed a tiny nymph. It's fairly easy on a larger mantis.


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## Chris Dickie (Mar 8, 2005)

I agree with what everybody has said

I see no reason why you have problems with hand feeding Jon, I done it last night

As Rick said it could be tricky as the mantid is so small

As a last resort only try it, I mean if the mantid will not eat on its own. With a small nymph it would probably be easier to use tweezers to hold the cricket. Then place the cricket at the mantids mouth. If it doesn't start eating squash the cricket slightly so some of its insides are outside its body, then place these at the nymphs mouth, this should get it to eat. The biggest problems I find are that some are lazy and don't grasp the cricket for a while, other problem is then getting the mantid back in its cage without making it drop its food. With a little practice its pretty easy

P.S. Make sure the nymph is not dehydrated before trying to feed, make sure you sprayed it earlier in the day or the day before as many mantids will not eat if they are thirsty in my experience


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## dakota (Mar 8, 2005)

i have managed to do it but it was really hard, my nymphs are L1 and L2

and they are a hand full any ways it is best not to hand feed them.

good luck!

thanks,

dakota


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## Macano (Mar 8, 2005)

I've also never been able to handfeed small mantids. I've only had luck doing that when they are larger, when it's pointless anyway as they don't need it then.

Pinhead crickets are tiny. Go to this page to see an approximate size of a pinhead cricket: http://www.southerncricket.com/supplies.html


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## Guest (Mar 8, 2005)

To be honest with you shadownet, I can see no hope whatsoever with handfeeding a small nymph,as the tweezers or your feeders, or whatever holding impliment, will scare it rather than attract it. Oothecae produce so many mantids, it almost seems pointless trying to handrear them, but if you get on with it, then good luck!

Cheers,

Ian


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## shadownet (Mar 8, 2005)

I hand fed mine last night..He eat most of it but droped the rest...Thanks for the help..I'm trying to see if the pet shop I go to has microcrickets or pinhead crickets...


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## shadownet (Mar 8, 2005)

He's eating the ant finaly!!!!!!!  He's growin' up so fast  It seems like yesterday I saw him for the first time....i'm sorry


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## FieroRumor (Mar 25, 2005)

I've been able to handfeed 'em, but when they are small, it IS tough. Once they get larger, they will readily eat anything you wiggle in front of 'em.


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## MicroMantis (Mar 26, 2005)

great news, congradulations on the new pet, you scared us sick about how much you posted about him, you must really like your new pet.


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## Carlangas (Apr 6, 2005)

if the mantis is on th e bottom or top of the cup just tap the cup to get the bug by the mantis, and 90% of the time it will grab it. Trying to handle the mantis is hard let alone trying to feed it. Especially with a L1.


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