Feeding. Wild?

Ok, i live in the UK, and theres not much wildlife where i live. I'm wondering, to feed my african mantis, could i NOT buy any food, but every day. Go catch some bugs. Maby a small spider, woodlouce, fly. Would that be nutritional enough? and can someone tell me what NOT to feed my mantis. (also, can they eat things that arn't living?)

I have read that some will take meat from you. I have also read that feeding them bugs that sting or bite could be a problem. Sure they eat them in the wild, but sometimes they do lose. I read that some pull out stingers from the bees before feeding.

In the end, yes you can catch and use those bugs to feed your mantis.

good, that will save me some cash. Thanks

I actually prefer to use wild caught food for everything but my nympsh(and even them too sometimes). It's cheaper and most likely even healthier for them as they are eating things that have gathered nutrients from many sources in the wild. I usually turn on my porch light for moths, collect butterflies from my lantana bushes, or walk my yard for grasshoppers, though I through in the occasional roach or other insect that I stumble across too. Almost any bug I find in my house goes straight to the mantids.

Mantis Keeper said:

I actually prefer to use wild caught food for everything but my nympsh(and even them too sometimes). It's cheaper and most likely even healthier for them as they are eating things that have gathered nutrients from many sources in the wild. I usually turn on my porch light for moths, collect butterflies from my lantana bushes, or walk my yard for grasshoppers, though I through in the occasional roach or other insect that I stumble across too. Almost any bug I find in my house goes straight to the mantids.

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Ditto!

Oh and about feeding dead things.... I usually do not feed any of my mantids insects that are already dead. You never know what caused its death... it could be from a pesticide, which will then kill your mantid. Also, even if the death of the wild feeder was natural, you never know how long it was dead for, which then opens up the chance of it being filled with bacteria. On the other hand, when I catch something living and I prefer to hand feed it, I usually shake the bug in the jar until it dies, then I hand feed it immediately.

YOu can do this no problem but I bet it will be hard to find wild insects in the winter. I feed mine wild insects all the time during the warm months.