# Handling mantids.



## lancaster1313 (Jun 15, 2010)

First off, I am not afraid of being bitten or punctured, I have been bitten by worse, :lol: . I have not yet had to grab a mantid, little experience so far. I would like to be prepared for any consequences if I have to grasp one for any reason. When I was a child, many creatures have probably suffered from my loving hands. Could anyone tell me if they drop legs, or injure themselves in thier struggle for their personal space, or thier freedom. I have seen creatures do some strange things when handled. I was wondering if mantids have any of these self mutilating tendencies. Now that I have a subadult male that keeps climbing out as I try to shut his container, after I clean it, and a few chinese nymphs who do the same thing. I would like to know what is the worst that could happen, if I had to grasp one.


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## DannyN (Jun 15, 2010)

likebugs said:


> First off, I am not afraid of being bitten or punctured, I have been bitten by worse, :lol: . I have not yet had to grab a mantid, little experience so far. I would like to be prepared for any consequences if I have to grasp one for any reason. When I was a child, many creatures have probably suffered from my loving hands. Could anyone tell me if they drop legs, or injure themselves in thier struggle for their personal space, or thier freedom. I have seen creatures do some strange things when handled. I was wondering if mantids have any of these self mutilating tendencies. Now that I have a subadult male that keeps climbing out as I try to shut his container, after I clean it, and a few chinese nymphs who do the same thing. I would like to know what is the worst that could happen, if I had to grasp one.


Ive had to grasp mantids, but have never had one drop a leg or anything. The worst they will do is act defensive and try and attack you. They will bite too if they feel extremely threatened. I have never had one drop a leg but I would imagine it could happen.


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## Rick (Jun 15, 2010)

I've handled a million of them. The best way for captive mantids is to let them walk onto your hand. Sometimes with mantids if you grab them (by the thorax is the best way) they will flail around with their front legs and the tips can really get you good. In my case this sometimes happens with wild caught mantids. I only grab captive mantids when I can't get them out by walking onto my hand. I maintain though that they should not be handled unless for short periods of time for such things as cage cleaning and picture taking.


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## Chief Tom (Jun 15, 2010)

I never grab them. I just let them walk onto my hand or stick, folded paper, etc. I've seen people pick them up like how Rick said by the thorax. I'm scared I won't do it right though and hurt one so I don't do it. I've never had to pick one up with my fingers.


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## lancaster1313 (Jun 15, 2010)

Thanks, I was just unsure about what would happen. I would expect that mantids wouldn't take kindly to being restrained. I just didn't know because the nymph that I "caught", just waved its forelegs at me, then climbed on, when I introduced my hand, so I brought him home. He still just does that waving thing when I am close. I only ever let him out of the container for a few minutes for cleaning or photos. I don't expect that all mantids would be this docile, and the found one will soon have wings. I also worry that winged mantids would fly into windows and mirrors.


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## hibiscusmile (Jun 15, 2010)

Nice story, do not worry about him getting away, that almost never happens, and as I always tell the newbies, " Bumbles bounce and Mantis go up!" haha, it will not hurt them to be with you whenever u wanna play with it, they like moving around, a lot of people here have them on their computers while working and some even feed them crickets while they work too, he will not run away from you so try it for awhile an let me know how it is, most mantis stay in one place all the time, I have a long neck on a flower I made on my shipiing table and she is there day and night for months now. oh gotta go, she has poop I must clean up


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## lancaster1313 (Jun 15, 2010)

hibiscusmile said:


> Nice story, do not worry about him getting away, that almost never happens, and as I always tell the newbies, " Bumbles bounce and Mantis go up!" haha, it will not hurt them to be with you whenever u wanna play with it, they like moving around, a lot of people here have them on their computers while working and some even feed them crickets while they work too, he will not run away from you so try it for awhile an let me know how it is, most mantis stay in one place all the time, I have a long neck on a flower I made on my shipiing table and she is there day and night for months now. oh gotta go, she has poop I must clean up


It would be cool to let the mantids out for longer peroids. Unfortunately for them and me, I have to keep freedom short, as an example to my 4 year old daughter, who will most likely love him to death. :lol: She is gentle but will probably stress them out, overhandling. I was the same way when I was young, wanting to "hold" creatures "all the time". Perhaps there will be some "hangout time" after the monster goes to sleep.


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## hierodula (Jun 15, 2010)

Just put your hand in front of them and they will climb on. B)


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## lancaster1313 (Jun 15, 2010)

Thats the problem, if it were up to him we would be there all day, playing treadmill. If I have him out, I put him on top of something, like a perch and he is pretty still. As soon as it is time to get put away, its treadmill time, or up the arm. :lol:


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## hibiscusmile (Jun 15, 2010)

Just like our children, running around the bed and up and down the stairs, wanting a drink then have to pee, and need a story, then another drink then gotta pee, forgot the hug, oh wheres my teddy........



yea, just what a mother needs is another stinker running around.


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## revmdn (Jun 15, 2010)

I play Rugby with mine.


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## lancaster1313 (Jun 15, 2010)

revmdn said:


> I play Rugby with mine.


  :blink:


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## hibiscusmile (Jun 16, 2010)

:tt2:


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## hibiscusmile (Jun 16, 2010)

Hey did I tell you guys today that I love this smiley? :tt2:


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## lancaster1313 (Jun 16, 2010)

This is what my mantids do when I try to put them away, :tt2: . I guess I literally let them walk all over me, :lol:


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## Chief Tom (Jun 17, 2010)

Hey Hibiscus that's cool that you said that because I have mine on the top edge of my screen on my laptop while I'm on here. It loves to watch me while I'm doing things on here and sometimes it thinks the cursor is prey.


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## LauraMG (Jun 21, 2010)

My 4 year old son grabbed my Chinese mantis from off his face the other day and I thought for sure he was a goner, but he wasn't hurt at all. They're rather resilient, however I think my son is banned from handling now! I was always afraid something like this would happen, I'm just glad neither of them were hurt. My mantis didn't attack or bite or eject any legs but he did cause some irritation with the tips of his legs but that was it.


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## lancaster1313 (Jun 21, 2010)

:lol: I was just trying to put some crickets in for my L3 chinese nymphs, I needed help to round up the nymphs as they were climbing up and out, so I employed the monster,(4 year old girl). She was ok for about a minute with the treadmill activity, then the curious pincer grasp was looming over a nymph  . I caught her just in time before she picked one up. She has tried this before, I think that she wants to find out how they feel, not just legs walking. I let her handle our pet beetles and millipedes  , their exoskeletons are pretty hard, and there are alot of them around. I still don't know how hard the exoskeletons are on mantids, they seem fragile to me. :lol:


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## JoeCapricorn (Jun 21, 2010)

L3 Chinese nymphs are very frail to pick up by the thorax. When they are sub-adult or adult, by the pronotum (the shield part of the thorax) gently would be possible.

What I do, if I need to transport some of my mantises and I cannot get them to walk on me, I usually gently grab them by the pronotum or the thorax above the hind legs and immediately let them grab onto something light. As long as they do, they will be calm - some mantises don't mind getting grabbed but there are no mantises that enjoy having their feet not touching anything. Either that, or they think they are flying, but I doubt that.

Small mantises are too small for our stubby fingers to grab, so letting them walk all over you is best. Using forceps is a bad idea, because metal is hard, and mantises are not hard, and hard things tend to squish non hard things.


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