# Cricket wound



## Graceface (Jan 4, 2019)

Sad to say Zarana, an L6 orchid, was bitten by her cricket. It looks like it may have chewed on her arm while she was eating it, and now part of her raptorial arm is gnawed/missing. 

I don't ever typically feed crickets to my mantises, but I had a bad batch of houseflies and ran through my blue bottles before I could get more due to the holidays. I had to get something locally and crickets were the only option. I'm so bummed! This is exactly why I don't use crickets  

I gave her honey water and put some honey water on the wound. Anything else I can do to help her? Is this type of thing potentially fatal?


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## hysteresis (Jan 4, 2019)

Graceface said:


> I gave her honey water and put some honey water on the wound. Anything else I can do to help her? Is this type of thing potentially fatal?


  bad run of luck 

Orin's book says crazy glue and paper to make a patch.

I only feed small crickets. At a decent feeding I'll offer two.


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## Graceface (Jan 4, 2019)

I would've given her 2 small ones myself, but my husband fed her a larger one. She seemed to tackle it okay, but clearly it wasn't okay. The one effing time I feed crickets...


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## hysteresis (Jan 4, 2019)

Yeh, I dont like those big crickets.

Skirry!


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## Mantis Lady (Jan 4, 2019)

That nasty cricket made a bad wound.  I think you did all you could for Zarana. I hope the wound won't infect and that next molt will start healing her.

When I gave crickets I did that under watchfull eye. Cochise and the others I had at that time loved them. But after problems with them, I started using grasshoppers,dubias and now flies instead. (hubby not happy with flies in fridge)


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## Jessie (Jan 4, 2019)

I just got a sub adult female today .


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## hysteresis (Jan 4, 2019)

Jessie said:


> I just got a sub adult female today .


Shes beautiful. I saw your post on the FB group.


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## hysteresis (Jan 4, 2019)

@Graceface  Does she still wield the raptorial?  How's the tarsus?


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## Graceface (Jan 4, 2019)

hysteresis said:


> @Graceface  Does she still wield the raptorial?  How's the tarsus?


Tarsus is gone and part of the arm. She's able to use it, but isn't actively using it, if you follow me.


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## hysteresis (Jan 5, 2019)

Graceface said:


> She's able to use it, but isn't actively using it, if you follow me.


Yeh, I think so. Maybe try liquid band-aid.

That sucks!


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## Graceface (Jan 5, 2019)

So... She ate the injured arm segment. I got home from work and the injured part is missing. It's the only answer, as she is all alone in her enclosure now. Hopefully she won't get an infection


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## hysteresis (Jan 5, 2019)

Graceface said:


> So... She ate the injured arm segment. I got home from work and the injured part is missing. It's the only answer, as she is all alone in her enclosure now. Hopefully she won't get an infection


That's brutal. I'm sorry!


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## Mantis Lady (Jan 5, 2019)

Graceface said:


> So... She ate the injured arm segment.


Maybe she did it to prevent an infection?


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## MantisGirl13 (Jan 5, 2019)

I am sorry that happened! Crickets are best handfed, but I guess you know that now! If she ate the injured segment, it was to prevent infection from the cricket's bite. Give her plenty of honey. I don't think raptorials grow back, but the wound should clot soon as long as she doesn't keep bothering it. Do not use anything artificial or with chemicals because it is in a spot where she can reach it to groom it and you don't want her eating anything dangerous. I hope she is ok!

- MantisGirl13


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## Graceface (Jan 5, 2019)

Thanks for the advice, but she died overnight  

This is Exactly why I don't feed crickets and I wouldn't have, had I not been in a bind. I watched all the Mantids hunt to make sure they were able to tackle their cricket. Zarana caught and was eating hers, so I assumed it was fine and put her enclosure back without watching her eat the entire cricket, and this is what happens. The one effing time


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## hysteresis (Jan 5, 2019)

Im very sorry this happened to y'all!

Noël took one yesterday in her new nano. I didnt like the way she had grappled it, she had her arms around a piece of foliage with the cricket on the other side. She was chomping at the cricket but not landing any bites and I panicked and disrupted her feeds before the cricket could do any damage, as tiny as it is, compared to her hulking size.

She got the cricket cleanly at next strike. But all it takes is a couple chomps.

But, what happened to you certainly strikes caution in my approach from now on. Again, I feed only small crickets to bigger mantises, and 1/4 pins to the smaller ones.


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## Graceface (Jan 5, 2019)

For the record, all the crickets were "small" and "extra small" from Petco. The one that killed Zarana was about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. Not big by any means, or out of proportion to the mantis

Outside of the fatal wound Zarana received, I also had to remove debris from Bellatrix's mouth while she was eating a cricket that appeared to be part of the water source sponge in the cricket enclosure. 

Bottom line: I will risk my mantids starving to death while I wait for flies next time rather than lose them to a cricket


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## hysteresis (Jan 5, 2019)

What I often do is scissor their head off, pierce its abdomen for flava, and hand feed. If im in a hurry, or feeding Hope.


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## Graceface (Jan 5, 2019)

I have always disliked crickets anyway, now my cricket dislike has real substance and merit

Flies forever, crickets never 

RIP Zarana


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## hysteresis (Jan 5, 2019)

Graceface said:


> RIP Zarana


I wish there was a black armband emoji


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## Mantis Lady (Jan 5, 2019)

Awww she died?  that was fast. Sorry for your loss.

I think i will never feed crickets to my mantids again after this, or I remove the heads like I did with the mealworms.


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## hysteresis (Jan 5, 2019)

Hand feeding with head cutoff is easy and safe. For live feeding, just the small crickets. 

Another thing to think of is that those back legs can do a small mantis nymph damage if they kick just right.

I wish I could find grasshoppers instead.


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## Mantis Lady (Jan 5, 2019)

I think grasshoppers have stronger legs, but you can cut the jump legs off.  For the mantis easier to grab. No more jumping.



hysteresis said:


> I wish I could find grasshoppers instead. ﻿


Maybe you can find a grasshopper farm online where you live? I order my grasshoppers at a grasshopper farm( in nl)so i don't need to travel to  other side of the city to get me some grasshoppers at the pet store. In 2 days I have them in my mailbox


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## Graceface (Jan 5, 2019)

Little Mantis said:


> Awww she died?  that was fast. Sorry for your loss.
> 
> I think i will never feed crickets to my mantids again after this, or I remove the heads like I did with the mealworms.


Yes, she seemed okay then was on the floor unresponsive. 

I didn't think to remove the heads, because they were so small, but even then I don't think I'll ever feed crickets again, personally.

I think removing the heads would be the safest bet if you are using crickets.


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## hysteresis (Jan 5, 2019)

I don't like them any bigger than this. That's standard egg carton for size reference.


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## MantisGirl13 (Jan 6, 2019)

Oh no! I am so sorry you lost her.   

- MantisGirl13


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## Graceface (Jan 6, 2019)

MantisGirl13 said:


> Oh no! I am so sorry you lost her.
> 
> - MantisGirl13


Thanks @MantisGirl13 I'm pretty sad, so much bad luck with my females lately. I'm hoping my luck will turn soon


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## hysteresis (Jan 6, 2019)

Graceface said:


> I'm hoping my luck will turn


 ¡oʇ sɐɥ ʇI


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## Graceface (Jan 6, 2019)

hysteresis said:


> It has to.


I'm hopeful! 

Funny, my male orchids wouldn't go for the crickets at all. Only 2 even ate them, the rest avoided them or struck at them in an attempt to get it away from them  They'd rather starve than eat a cricket! I feel the same, guys! 

Patty from Mantids Galore shipped me a replacement for the bad flies, and my other order of Blue Bottles showed from Panterra yesterday, so we are back on flies and (never thought I'd say this) I'm so happy to see them!


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## hysteresis (Jan 6, 2019)

Graceface said:


> ... so we are back on flies ...


I have these black soldier fly larvae. I hope in some weeks I can feed some flies from them.

I'd like to minimize cricket use too.


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## Mantis Lady (Jan 7, 2019)

> ... so we are back on flies ... ﻿


Better than the cickets, flies don't bite. They are yucky but good mantis food.


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## MantisGirl13 (Jan 7, 2019)

I am glad you have flies again! Patty is awesome!

- MantisGirl13


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