# ooth. question?



## Dartania

Hi guy's I got a little desperate waiting for my chinese mantis ooth. to hatch so I crack it open to see inside and after 5 weeks I saw little nymphs but they look like they were sleeping or dead? does this mean they are not going to hatch or should I wait longer, are they supposed to be moving in there or they should be sleeping.....

Coments welcome!!!!

Thanks


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## Jesse

They should be white little grub like things, possibly with dark eyes. They will not move at this stage. Since you broke the ooth open, unless they are just about to hatch, they are very prone to desiccation and may all die shortly or begin molding. They may also hatch improperly, but there is still a chance everything will be ok. In the future try to be a little more patient....it can take up to 6+ weeks for a chinese ooth to hatch.


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## Dartania

I feel horrible. I will never do that again. Lesson learned.


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## Rick

Don't throw out the ooth. I have done the same thing in the past. However I only peel back the very first layer. The rest should still hatch.


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## garbonzo13

hey y'all, I am new to this (and I mean only doing research for about a week or two) and just got some T. sinensis ooth's in the mail. Can I refrigerate these things so I don't get overun by them? Also what can I use to stick the ooth to a twig for hatching....superglue, or will the chemicals kill them? Any help will be GREATLY appreciated.


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## Sheldon Johnson

Try using blue tac (do you have that in America?) to stick the ooths to things.


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## garbonzo13

What is blue tac? Can you post a pic of it, maybe we have something like it. Like I said, I am new to this so we may have it over here, I just have never heard of it.


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## Rick

I use safety pins or the thin metal wire like what is inside garbage bag ties.


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## worldofmantis

Well normally when a ooth is laid there is a crease or small hole where the mantis layed it on a stick (if it was layed on a stick) sometimes the stick is still on there. If it is tie some string to the stick then tie it to the top of the cage. Or if the stick was removed slide the string threw where the stick once was then tie it always works for me.


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## Ian

all I do, I sew a piece of cotton through the very top piece of foam, and string the ooth up, which makes it eas to spray, has all round ventilation, and hatching is not problem.

Cheers,

Ian


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## Sheldon Johnson

http://www.audiocostruzioni.com/a_d/idee/B...blue%20tack.gif


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## Ian

oh the wonders of blue tac.......


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## garbonzo13

Ah, Sheldon, thats that clay/silly putty stuff. lol Ian when you say spray the ooth, that has to stay humid also? If I set up a 10 gallon (10x20x12.5) enclosure for hatching, should I use substrate or will the nymphs not be able to find their flies. Also I hope I havn't done the wrong thing by putting them (ooths) in the refrigerator until I can get flies. It will only be about a week.


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## Ian

well, nymph wise, I never use tanks, as I find them very awkward to open and close, and to put food in a take food out. I make my own cylindrical net cages, a bit like butterfly cage. Put all the nymphs in there, full ventilation, and then you can just unzip the zip, put in and take out fruit flies as you please. If I was usinign tanks I am sure I would have never raised as many nymphs as I alreay have! With the ooth, if you want to raise humidity, put some damp moss or vermiculite in the tank, across the bottom, that will raise the levels quite dramatically.

Cheers,

Ian


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## garbonzo13

oops..That was a question on keeping ooths humid Ian. Hope I didn't offend. I went back to edit it. I have my ooth hanging on the side of a tank with fishing line taped to the side. Now about substrate? Should I or shouldn't I use substrate in a nymph tank due to the fact small flies, when feeding, may hide easier? I was looking at peat moss ( the kind that looks like spaghetti tangles) not the soil stuff. I was also thinking of linking the tank with a tube to the fly culture container, that way I only have to open to remove the mantids, clean, and place in new ooth's. Kinda like a hamster cage LOL.


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## Ian

lol, no worries. What species is it? I never use moss with my nymphs,a s I said, just in a mesh cage. What do you keep your flies in? Small cups or tubs, or in large containers?

Cheers,

Ian


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## garbonzo13

It's Tendera sinensis or something like that. Those are my ooths, I also have a wild caught grass mantis(maybe juvenile). I will use 32 oz. deli container when I get to order the flies tomorrow. Ian, do you use the mesh cages-like the ones for chameleans?


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