# What to feed.....



## Storm (Oct 9, 2007)

I have a mantis i caught and would like to keep it but i might let it go and get a smaller one... i dont really want to keep crickets (i already keep fruit flies though) so do i have to use crickets as a main food or with other stuff work? Any help is appriciated... Thanks

~S

P.s. Its a semi big green mantis that has wings and flies i think. too big for fruitflies though


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## hibiscusmile (Oct 9, 2007)

Storm said:


> I have a mantis i caught and would like to keep it but i might let it go and get a smaller one... i dont really want to keep crickets (i already keep fruit flies though) so do i have to use crickets as a main food or with other stuff work? Any help is appriciated... Thanks ~S
> 
> P.s. Its a semi big green mantis that has wings and flies i think. too big for fruitflies though


He will eat flies, house, moths, butterflies, wasps, and other flying things. Grasshoppers too!


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## Precious (Oct 9, 2007)

I caught five bumble bees in deli containers today, knocked them out in the freezer and put them in my Chinese's enclosure, yum! You can order blue bottle fly larvae from Grubco.com (other sites, too). Like Hibiscusmile said, moths are great and you can catch them around outdoor lights well into the fall. Mantids love moths!


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## Storm (Oct 9, 2007)

Ok so i caught a cricket... 2 flies... a moth and tried a banana... is that ok for now? how much do they eat?


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## joossa (Oct 9, 2007)

The amount an individual will eat varies on what species and what gender it is. I would say that 2 houseflies or any equivalent every other day is sufficient. A strong indication of being full is when the mantid begins to refuse food, but you need not fill it up every time you feed.

And as already stated, the mantid will eat moths, butterflies, bees, any fly, earwigs, and almost anything that the mantid can physically handle. Just go outside look for bugs.

Oh, and hibsicusmile, mantids don’t eat houses…


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## OGIGA (Oct 9, 2007)

Is there a good kind of place/store that sells flying insects that mantises can eat? I tried a local bait shop and got some wax worms, but they look like they're dying rather than pupating. They didn't have any bluebottle larvae. I get crickets at a local pet store, but I'd like to add to their diet.

Catching insects is great, but doesn't work very well in the winter.


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## echostatic (Oct 10, 2007)

you can get a small container and get a dozen crickets at a time from the petshop. a dozen should be little trouble to care for. that will last your mantis a while too.


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## Krissim Klaw (Oct 10, 2007)

OGIGA said:


> Catching insects is great, but doesn't work very well in the winter.


It does if you live in FL and their are insects year round. :lol: Like everyone else suggested wild caught can be a great way to feed, though depending on where you live there can be trouble with making sure you can catch all that you need. Also should watch out to make sure you aren't catching from yards/places that spread bug poison.

I feed mine mainly wild caught. My babies used to be strictly fed wild caught up until they were large enough for a petstore small crickets (usally when the mantises where 2-3 sheddings old). Have to admit after trying fruitflies with my last two mantises that was way easier though. &lt;.&lt;

In addition to that you could try meal and wax worms. I know a lot of petstores carry them around here.


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## Mantida (Oct 10, 2007)

joossa said:


> Oh, and hibsicusmile, mantids don’t eat houses…


 :lol:


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## OGIGA (Oct 11, 2007)

Krissim Klaw said:


> It does if you live in FL and their are insects year round. :lol:


You are lucky to have so many insects!


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