# Creobroter Housing



## Sparky

Hi guys

Im looking forward to getting a Creobroter soon and Im just wondering

whats one of the best ways to keep these.

Other sites just tell me about temperature and humidity, which confuses me and thats all they mostly say.

Please, share me your wisdom and experieces :lol:


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## hibiscusmile

You can keepthem in anything big enough for them to move around in and still find their food. The bugs are not picky, give them something like a little stick to climb on and your good to go, every species, like the same thing, a little water, a little food, and a resting place, that includes us humans! Take any clear jar, plastic or glass and fix the lid so it cannot escape with thin cloth, screen or coffee filter and until it gets bigger it will be happy there. :wink:


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## Sparky

Well I have something like this







I have one of these but its way bigger.

I was wondering if I can put moist peatmoss on the bottom to create

humidity and maybe throw some orchid bark here and there then I can

place a long stick in the middle and if I can I'll grow some plants in there

that dont die easily. Or plastic plants. is that ok? And can I put some

green moss or sphagnum too or will that create too much humidity?


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## randyardvark

ok just a question...do you know how small these guys are? and what size are you getting?

for a size comparison heres a picture of what i think is a subadult female... easting a size 3/4 cricket




and i dont exactly have giant hands.. that may help you judge how big of a tank you need, the pet pal type tanks do work, as long as your mantis/its food cant escape


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## Sparky

well i just want them to have alot of space to move around and i dont want a boring setup


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## randyardvark

you could always split it into several tanks with partitions...just a thought, with enough imagination you can make even the most boring container look nice


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## Sparky

are Creobroter fairly easy to take care of? It is going to be the first mantis I'll get if I get it.

and do I really need a heatmat?

or will peat,bark,and moss do all the humidifying?

I also worry about temperature


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## Kriss

I could advise you to keep a better starter species such as an african, budwing or Giant asian mantid but if you have your heart set on this sp why not  

No you do not need a heat mat. Room temperature will be fine.

I would use Spagnum moss or vermiculite as a substrate, spray every 3 days or when the substrate completely dries out.

You do not need a big enclosure, they are small mantids. They will not find any enclosure "boring" for want of a better word. A plastic cup with a thin netting on the top is more than suitable. If your mantid has problems walking up and down th cup provide a piece of tissue or twig for them to walk on.

Buy more than one. 3-4 nymphs if you can. You will improve your chances or rearing some to adulthood this way. :wink:


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## randyardvark

as kriss said pretty much, i found no need for substrate, and i keep mine fairly dry spraying every 4 days... give them lots of ventilation and they will be fine, do well at room temperature, and are ravonous little buggers, they will take fruitflies up to subadult (i have yet to keep adults) but will happilly take larger prey

imho they are fairly easy to keep...try not to pamper them to much  

and i would say these would be fine as a beginner sp  but i would buy more than one (then you can breed them )and also gives you a a bit of room for loosing some in sheds ect

happy keeping


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## Asa

You should probably get a Chinese, Giant Asian, African, Indian...


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## Rick

Plain ole 32 oz deli cup will make a fine habitat. You don't want a habitat that is too large when it comes to mantids.


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## Sparky

> You should probably get a Chinese, Giant Asian, African, Indian...


My heart is bent on this creobroter :wink:


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## Asa

Okay, but it might die...


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## Kriss

Good Luck Sparky!  

Keep us informed how its going. :wink:

Like I said get 3 - 4 mantids if you can.

Maybe try buying another Sp that might be easier to rear aswell as your creobroter.

:shock:   :shock:


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## randyardvark

> Okay, but it might die...


god asa, ye have little faith! give him some support guys

tbh mantids arnt actually that hard to keep as long as you give them their basic requirements,

sparky get one dont set yourself up for failure! ive seem pple start with much harder sp and do very well  i wish you the best of luck and im sure you will do fine  but i would get at least a couple


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## Asa

Okay, okay, he'll be fine.


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## randyardvark

thank you asa  a little support goes a long way


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## Asa

Forced support especially. :lol:


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## randyardvark

the best kind


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## Sparky

uuhhhhmmmm....okaayy....thanks?

Im not hopeless by the way. If all you need is a tank, a bunch of branches and a few misting at room temperature and food..then that would be easy. Plus I have alot of stuff that it doesnt nessecerally need, but I think it would help.

Like setting peat moss for the ground covering to provide humidity.

And a tank instead of a jar.


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## Asa

> uuhhhhmmmm....okaayy....thanks?Im not hopeless by the way. If all you need is a tank, a bunch of branches and a few misting at room temperature and food..then that would be easy. Plus I have alot of stuff that it doesnt nessecerally need, but I think it would help.
> 
> Like setting peat moss for the ground covering to provide humidity.
> 
> And a tank instead of a jar.


Nobody is saying you are inadequate, but their are many ways mantids can die, even if you treat them perfectly.


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## Sparky

so mine will die?

Im confused :?


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## colddigger

what i think Asa is saying is that the mantis might die from something other than bad housing, such as being an idiot and molting close to the ground or being constipated...

bacteria anyone?


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## randyardvark

sparky basicly loads of mantids die for seeminly no reason thats why i never buy just one mantis, admittedly creos have a much lower mortality rate than other sp, so this will be less of a problem, dont go over board with the spraying-keep it simple and you will be fine...like you said- its easy


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## Asa

> so mine will die?Im confused :?


I'm just saying it's a possibility. Some mantids are very stupid, and molt very close to the ground. Eventually they will die, all things do. Some species of mantids can live up to two years! But your species are not as longlived.


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## Sparky

woah, 2 years? What kind of mantis can live that long?

Oh and just in case I don't get the mantis of my dreams I'm wondering

what kind of mantids they sell at nurseries.

Green Chinese perhaps?


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## Asa

Green Chinese??

They usually sell Chinese and European.

I had a Chinese mantid that lived for two years, however it is highly unusual.


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## Sparky

> Green Chinese??They usually sell Chinese and European.
> 
> I had a Chinese mantid that lived for two years, however it is highly unusual.


Yea, I meant Green Chinese Mantid right?

By the way did you breed that mantis? I heard that mantids live longer

when they don't mate.


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## Asa

> Green Chinese??They usually sell Chinese and European.
> 
> I had a Chinese mantid that lived for two years, however it is highly unusual.
> 
> 
> 
> Yea, I meant Green Chinese Mantid right?
> 
> By the way did you breed that mantis? I heard that mantids live longer
> 
> when they don't mate.
Click to expand...

Chinese are green or brown according to their humidity and temperature.

The only reason I can see that being mated would make a difference, would be if the female ate the male. But, no, I did not mate the mantid.


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## Sparky

cool, I wouldn't stop them from breeding though. I'm sure every living thing wants to breed. . .right?

I'm getting more and more anxious as the day goes by. I never seen or

held a mantis in my whole life.  This is gonna be so coolio.

I haven't got the money to buy one because my parents think if kids are to hold money they will learn how to waste it and when i asked my mom to buy a mantis for me she said "This is exactly what im talking about. You don't need things like this." :?

They dont let me buy things online either due to concern of safety and scamming.

If I can't get one now I'll go back to Dallas when im 18 and catch myself a mantis 8) I hope this is going to be a very fun experience :wink:


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## randyardvark

but look at ian, he was given money let to spend it and now he rakes it in using his own buisiness


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## Asa

It's unusual to make a large sum of money, selling mantids.


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## Sparky

Well thats because Asa is tite like that. 8)


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## Asa

I am a bit pessimistic. Runs in the family.


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## randyardvark

> Well thats because Asa is tite like that. 8)


but not as tight as your parents


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## Asa

Yes. They sound a bit paronoid. I know this will sound drastic, but,

ORDERING THINGS ONLINE IS FINE!


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## Sparky

are orchids hard to care for?


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## robo mantis

No just need humididty and they love flies.


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## Asa

You might want an easier mantis though. If you like them very large, orchid isn't your type.


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## Sparky

I prefer very small mantids better.


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## Asa

Yes, the small ones are often more interesting.


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## OGIGA

> are orchids hard to care for?


I think they're pretty easy.


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