# feeders



## I_love_mantids (Jan 13, 2014)

Hi everyone!

I am looking for an exotic feeder and I want to know what if anybody knows what i'm looking for. I will tell you different ones I don't want and why.

Crickets- I have been feeding my mantids crickets for awhile but I want to stop because they can get expensive and they hide in cracks.

Roaches- Everybody seems to feed their mantis roaches, but like crickets, they hide.

Silverfish/firebrats- Again, they hide.

Fruit flies- I feed these to my mantids when they are nymphs, but they are too small for adults.

Houseflies- These are great but when I get pupae, only a few hatch

Ants- Who would even think about feeding their mantids ants?

Does anyone know of such a specialized feeder? if so, do you have any for sale or know where I could buy some?

any help is appreciated


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## Termite48 (Jan 13, 2014)

Ethan: The tried and tested are: flies of all types, moths, butterflies, meal worms (emergency, after beheading and using a forceps to give to adult mantids). Eclosing housefly and blue and green bottle fly pupae is an acquired skill.


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## happy1892 (Jan 13, 2014)

You can breed crickets


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## Extrememantid (Jan 13, 2014)

Too picky.. Roaches, flies and moths are the best options.. Where would roaches hide in your mantid enclosures? Also you didn't mention green bottles and blue bottles, I'd give those a try if I were you


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## I_love_mantids (Jan 13, 2014)

extrememantis. whenever I have used roaches they would burry themselves in the dirt at the bottom. Same with crickets. Moths is a good idea. Does anyone know where I could get some?


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## Termite48 (Jan 13, 2014)

In the warmer months if you place a white sheet in front of your car's headlights at night, you can snag quite a few. I do not know if that works this time of year, especially in the colder states.


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## I_love_mantids (Jan 13, 2014)

Rich: Thats a good idea but I want to buy some so I could have some available year round.


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## Extrememantid (Jan 13, 2014)

I_love_mantids said:


> extrememantis. whenever I have used roaches they would burry themselves in the dirt at the bottom. Same with crickets. Moths is a good idea. Does anyone know where I could get some?


Try dubias.. And paper towel works good. No need for dirt


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## patrickfraser (Jan 13, 2014)

I raise a selection of feeders: Dubia roaches, hisser roaches, mealworms, superworms, green bottle flies, blue bottle flies, and of course fruit flies. I always have something the "right" size. They are all pretty easy to raise and keep if you follow care sheets properly.


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## Extrememantid (Jan 13, 2014)

I_love_mantids said:


> extrememantis. whenever I have used roaches they would burry themselves in the dirt at the bottom. Same with crickets. Moths is a good idea. Does anyone know where I could get some?


You could breed waxworms.. Those turn into moths I think


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## I_love_mantids (Jan 13, 2014)

I will try waxworms again. last time they all died, but that was a while ago.


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## happy1892 (Jan 13, 2014)

There are roaches that do not burrow.


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## I_love_mantids (Jan 13, 2014)

happy1892. what types?


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## happy1892 (Jan 14, 2014)

S. lateralis and A. kyotensis do not seem to burrow from what I have seen. I cannot find any other roaches right now that do not burrow. Do the crickets really burrow? Mine did not.


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## I_love_mantids (Jan 14, 2014)

My crickets do burrow.


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## I_love_mantids (Jan 14, 2014)

I looked up S. lateralis and wikapedia said it was a skink.


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## I_love_mantids (Jan 14, 2014)

And A. kyotensis is a moth


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## Extrememantid (Jan 14, 2014)

I_love_mantids said:


> I looked up S. lateralis and wikapedia said it was a skink.


Never trust Wikipedia lol


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## Ranitomeya (Jan 14, 2014)

S. lateralis is Shelfordella lateralis, they're a non-burrowing roaches I use as a feeder. They move around quickly and often enough that my mantids will move closer to position themselves into striking distance.

A. kyotensis is Asiablatta kyotensis. Most commonly used feeder roaches are burrowing roaches either as nymphs or as both nymphs and adults.

If you're having a huge problem with your feeders hiding, your enclosures might be too cluttered or decorated to an unnecessary degree.


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## I_love_mantids (Jan 14, 2014)

Ranitomeya. I don't think my cages are too cluttered. For my ghosts I even crush up the dead leaves before putting them in the bottom.


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## I_love_mantids (Jan 14, 2014)

Does anyone think ladybugs would be good feeders? I can find them at garden stores. I got waxworms. my ghost LOVES them but my orchid is scared of them.


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## Extrememantid (Jan 14, 2014)

I_love_mantids said:


> Does anyone think ladybugs would be good feeders? I can find them at garden stores. I got waxworms. my ghost LOVES them but my orchid is scared of them.


Meh, maybe there might be toxins in them though


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## happy1892 (Jan 15, 2014)

Scincella lateralis is a small skink but I mean Shelfordella lateralis. Mantises might not like ladybugs very much.


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## Extrememantid (Jan 15, 2014)

I_love_mantids said:


> Ranitomeya. I don't think my cages are too cluttered. For my ghosts I even crush up the dead leaves before putting them in the bottom.


Lol.. Exactly. You don't need any dead leaves or live plants or lots of stuff, or even dirt. Paper towel and a branch or a fake plant works just great


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## Ranitomeya (Jan 15, 2014)

Many beetles have chemical defenses. Ladybird beetles produce distasteful compounds that can prevent predation and even sicken some predators that ingest them.
Aside from bedding and materials for the mantids to climb and molt on, anything extra is just decoration. It's certainly not a problem if you like how it looks, but it can make feeding and cleaning quite a hassle.


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## I_love_mantids (Jan 16, 2014)

Do lacewings make good feeders?


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## Ranitomeya (Jan 16, 2014)

Lacewings don't have much mass to them, but they can be used as feeders if you can get enough of them.


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