# Orchid Mantis has been molting for 30 hours. Problem?



## ejack (Sep 4, 2007)

I'm new to this. She is probably on her 5th molt ever. I noticed late yesterday afternoon that she was molting. I had never seen this before, only the skin at the bottom of the cage afterwards. The size of her and her molting skin is WAY bigger than her. It was a bit alarming. But I guess that is normal? Anyway, it has been about 30 hours and she is not out of it. Is this abnormal? What do I do?


----------



## xenuwantsyou (Sep 4, 2007)

It usually takes 20 minutes TOPS. What part of her skin is she still attached to? If the front legs or the mouth is stuck I'm sorry, but she's a goner. If it's just the abdomen or back legs you might be able to pull her out.


----------



## buddhistsoldier88 (Sep 4, 2007)

> It usually takes 20 minutes TOPS. What part of her skin is she still attached to? If the front legs or the mouth is stuck I'm sorry, but she's a goner. If it's just the abdomen or back legs you might be able to pull her out.


If its not her head or front legs, try GENTLY GENTLY pulling off the skin like your pulling it out... Good luck with that hope she makes it!!


----------



## ejack (Sep 4, 2007)

thanks for the reply xenu. i really dont know what i am looking at - whether its her or skin. but it does seem like all of her legs are out. it seems like all of the molting skin is on her back. BUT, it also seems like her mouth is tucked towards her chest or the area between her two front legs.

if I do have to help her, and suggestions or rules to go by?


----------



## OGIGA (Sep 5, 2007)

After 30 hours.... I don't know if there's any hope left. But it's worth a try. I always found that spraying some water to wet the mantis and skin helps loosen it up. And be very gentle. Even being very gentle, you still have a good chance of pulling off a leg or foot (or whatever else). Most of all, good luck!


----------



## Ben.M (Sep 5, 2007)

After 30 hours the skin will hav dried up and so it aint coming off :?


----------



## asdsdf (Sep 5, 2007)

> always found that spraying some water to wet the mantis and skin helps loosen it up.


Ben. M: Hey, if you can spray water to soften the skin, you can give it a try, right? :?

Also, you can maybe try to just cut off the skin (Not attached to the mantis), but it really depends on your situation. From what you wrote, it's still attached to the head??? Also, losing a back leg or foot is not too bad; it can grow back if it survives the next molt, but can a mantis survive with skin stuck on them, or will they have troubles getting *that* skin off?


----------



## Rick (Sep 5, 2007)

30 hours? Nothing you can do. By that time the new exoskeleton has hardened and whatever shape she is in is where she will stay.


----------



## ejack (Sep 5, 2007)

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I think she is now dying. I wish I had been more educated sooner. My fault. I didn't have any idea how long too long was for the molt. I should have sprayed her sooner and possibly helped her sooner. I did make a very careful and slow attempt to help her last night. It took about a half hour with very fine tweezers and lots of spray, but I did get the molt off of her. But now it seems she is crippled. She won't stand up. She just lays on her belly. She tries to move, but can't go far. So sad. I guess I should put her in the freezer huh? That hurts to do that but I guess it is best from what I read here.


----------



## calmspeak (Sep 5, 2007)

awwwwwwwwww to bad , sorry bout your little guy.


----------



## Rick (Sep 5, 2007)

> Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I think she is now dying. I wish I had been more educated sooner. My fault. I didn't have any idea how long too long was for the molt. I should have sprayed her sooner and possibly helped her sooner. I did make a very careful and slow attempt to help her last night. It took about a half hour with very fine tweezers and lots of spray, but I did get the molt off of her. But now it seems she is crippled. She won't stand up. She just lays on her belly. She tries to move, but can't go far. So sad. I guess I should put her in the freezer huh? That hurts to do that but I guess it is best from what I read here.


These things happen sometimes no matter what you do. I think that was the case here.


----------



## Ben.M (Sep 5, 2007)

> awwwwwwwwww to bad , sorry bout your little guy.


Girl  

Sorry 2 hear that m8, not ur fault, just a bit more education needed :roll:


----------



## OGIGA (Sep 5, 2007)

> Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I think she is now dying. I wish I had been more educated sooner. My fault. I didn't have any idea how long too long was for the molt. I should have sprayed her sooner and possibly helped her sooner. I did make a very careful and slow attempt to help her last night. It took about a half hour with very fine tweezers and lots of spray, but I did get the molt off of her. But now it seems she is crippled. She won't stand up. She just lays on her belly. She tries to move, but can't go far. So sad. I guess I should put her in the freezer huh? That hurts to do that but I guess it is best from what I read here.


 Yeah, freezer is the way we do it here. Or you can feed her to another mantis.


----------



## asdsdf (Sep 5, 2007)

Or you can freeze it, and then feed it. (So it won't feel anything) You have to pretend it's alive with tweezers or something though.


----------



## Asa (Sep 5, 2007)

Sorry to hear about your first loss.


----------



## buddhistsoldier88 (Sep 5, 2007)

> Or you can freeze it, and then feed it. (So it won't feel anything) You have to pretend it's alive with tweezers or something though.


Thats bogus as heck!! How could you do that?!


----------



## asdsdf (Sep 5, 2007)

> Thats bogus as heck!! How could you do that?!


######??? How is it bogus?! Or are you too narrow-minded to figure it out?(Hint: Use the...Brain) Here are detailed instructions(for those who have "problems") :roll: :

1. Freeze the orchid so it *dies*. (So when it gets eaten, it won't feel anything. :roll: )

2. Thaw it out, and use tweezers to grip it and act like it's moving. (So the other mantis will see it and grasp it. :roll: )

3. it is eaten( You know, for food? Unless I need to explain that has well... :roll: )

And I hope you don't need more than this.... :roll:

:roll:


----------



## Asa (Sep 5, 2007)

> > Thats bogus as heck!! How could you do that?!
> 
> 
> ######??? How is it bogus?! Or are you too narrow-minded to figure it out?(Hint: Use the...Brain) Here are detailed instructions(for those who have "problems") :roll: :
> ...


----------



## asdsdf (Sep 5, 2007)

Yes, well, I guess I overestimated the level of intelligence. If maybe he was a little more *open minded* and used the organ called the *brain*, then *maybe*, just maybe, he(?) would be able to figure it out. :roll:

Fine:

Or you can freeze it, and then feed the dead mantis to the *live *one. (So the *dead* one won't feel anything) You have to pretend the *dead* one is alive with tweezers by making the *dead* one move. :roll:


----------



## buddhistsoldier88 (Sep 5, 2007)

> Yes, well, I guess I overestimated the level of intelligence. If maybe he was a little more *open minded* and used the organ called the *brain*, then *maybe*, just maybe, he(?) would be able to figure it out. :roll: Fine:
> 
> Or you can freeze it, and then feed the dead mantis to the *live *one. (So the *dead* one won't feel anything) You have to pretend the *dead* one is alive with tweezers by making the *dead* one move. :roll:


Yes i am a male. I know what you're saying, and i was using my brain. Perhaps you need a heart? It was a living thing. And to disgrace it by feeding its body to another is dishonoring it!


----------



## Xenomantis (Sep 5, 2007)

> > Yes, well, I guess I overestimated the level of intelligence. If maybe he was a little more *open minded* and used the organ called the *brain*, then *maybe*, just maybe, he(?) would be able to figure it out. :roll: Fine:
> >
> > Or you can freeze it, and then feed the dead mantis to the *live *one. (So the *dead* one won't feel anything) You have to pretend the *dead* one is alive with tweezers by making the *dead* one move. :roll:
> 
> ...


Guys, please. Let's not start getting rude. Remember, someone just lost a beautiful mantis. We don't need to turn their post for advice into a flame-fest. And, in the end, it IS up to the owner of the mantis in question. Whether they want to feed it to another mantis or give it a post mortum ceremony is up to them.


----------



## buddhistsoldier88 (Sep 5, 2007)

> > > Yes, well, I guess I overestimated the level of intelligence. If maybe he was a little more *open minded* and used the organ called the *brain*, then *maybe*, just maybe, he(?) would be able to figure it out. :roll: Fine:
> > >
> > > Or you can freeze it, and then feed the dead mantis to the *live *one. (So the *dead* one won't feel anything) You have to pretend the *dead* one is alive with tweezers by making the *dead* one move. :roll:
> >
> ...


I'm not talking about a ceremony exactly, but to treat a lost pet as nothing more than mere fodder is cruel....

But you do what you think is best regardless of 2 ppl arguing


----------



## asdsdf (Sep 5, 2007)

> Yeah, freezer is the way we do it here. Or you can feed her to another mantis.[\quote]First of all, I was not the person to offer the feeding. Oh, yes, choose the newer person to flame.
> 
> I was just offering a suggestion that instead of maybe, if someone misinterpreted that, would feed it alive.(Or on purpose) Instead, you could kill it first, so it wouldn't feel anything.
> 
> ...


----------



## buddhistsoldier88 (Sep 5, 2007)

> > Yeah' date=' freezer is the way we do it here. Or you can feed her to another mantis.[\quote']I put the ? mark there cause I wasn't sure if you were a male or female.
> >
> > I was just offering a suggestion that instead of maybe, if someone misinterpreted that, would feed it alive. Instead, I offered that you could kill it first, so it wouldn't feel anything.
> >
> ...


----------



## Asa (Sep 6, 2007)

People, I'm ashamed by your immature actions. You're arguing like a bunch of 5 year olds.

asdf: you need to understand that not all people can understand everything you say. There is no need to be ridiculously sarcastic about something you misphrased and he misunderstood. No one is 'flaming' you. Perhaps you could use a bit of open mind.

buddhistsoldier: I understand that your faith doesn't let you do things like that, but you have to understand that feeding a dead body to another is not horribly sacreligious to others. If that were so, I imagine there would be a cult uprising of buddhists to ban meat from their diet.

Now both of you please kiss and make up, or continue this mock fest in PMs so we don't have to deal with it.


----------



## asdsdf (Sep 6, 2007)

Ya, well, I was kinda pissed off becuase it was rude, and so I answered with sarcasm. :?


----------



## Asa (Sep 6, 2007)

Your turn Buddhist!


----------



## OGIGA (Sep 6, 2007)

What a playground this has turned into. Now, just watch this topic get locked as soon as a moderator sees it.


----------



## ThorEH (Sep 6, 2007)

But buddhist : what do you feed your mantids with ? Only self-dead animals ? Or are they vegetarians ?


----------

