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I would just say don't worry about it and let them all grow naturally. The females will reach adulthood in plenty of time for the boys to mate. Creos are easy breeders.

Since I like to feed my flies before feeding anyways I find it is helpful just to hatch the flies in a separate cage and put a fly or two in when I want to feed. If you shine a light where the mantis is sitting, the flies usually fly there and the mantises tend to catch them within minutes. Then...

Typically if you are ordering these and hatching them directly you won't need to do anything for them. If you feel that the cage you are placing them in or the substrate they came in is bone dry, rather than adding the water directly to their substrate you might find it safer to add a touch of...

Yes, this isn't new news although there are some beginner keepers that misunderstand how humidity works. This is why you will always see experienced keepers warn that spraying a mantis that is having problems emerging out of its skin will not solve the problems at that point. Most in the hobby...

I remember literally going through my entire room one day searching for a mantis. She is the only mantis I lost one day and went to bed unable to find. The next day I spent nearly all of it going inch by inch through my room. Through draws, closest, nothing was spared. A few hours after...

Yes, sometimes. One thing you can do is look up the names of the groups that will be setting up booths at the shows. Most groups have sites on the net so you can look at the ones you think that might have inverts. If they list mantids on their site you can then drop them an email and see if they...

The only thing more awkward than neighbors spotting you chasing butterflies with a net is when they ask why you are catching them and you tell them to feed your pet mantis. :innocent:

If you are worried about loosing them when taking them out/doing stuff in their cages, one trick you can do is get a white towel or two and lay them down on the floor and sit in the middle while you handle them. It makes it far easier to keep an eye on them if they decide to go springing off...

Ironically I might bring the cats back in and watch them carefully to see if they are drawn to a certain area. Otherwise I second keeping the room on the dim side and leaving a light on or blinds up on windows during the day. Just be careful with the light as someone mentioned that it doesn't...

I was not aware they weren't already considered established in FL. My early experiences with mantises where all wild caught T. sinensis.

Yah it tends to be less of a food issue and more of a water one. Adults and larger nymphs tend to be fine but the smaller ones can dry out fast and if there is no one to mist their cage for drinking then the only moisture they can fall back on is what they get in their food. It can put them in a...

I would advise not to intentionally feed fruit flies from a moldy culture, although I would say it is likely pretty low risk that your mantis will have an issues. To an extent fruit flies are pretty tough and resilient against mold but eventually it will out compete them for the resources of the...

I'm sorry to hear things went so bad. Trips can be tough because even if you are willing to spend the money on a pet sitter it is going to be hard finding someone experienced enough to do more good than harm. For a shorter 4 day trip a lot of us would find it less risky leaving the mantises...

As others have mentioned sometimes they simply never lay but generally they can still live full, long lives. As was also brought up, I've found unmated females to be more prone to this. She still seems within the healthy range for a mantis, but I personally prefer to feed on the lighter side...

Good luck! I never bothered to separate the eggs and just let the nymphs grow up in the main tank.

If you have male adult crickets in the cage too then they will most certainly be fertile. You have to keep the soil slightly moist for them to hatch as if it gets too dry the eggs will dry out. Assuming your house isn't super cold or something, if you just leave it in there long enough...

I've never noticed anything like that. I will sometimes spray mantises directly when I know they are coming up on a molt and they snub me when I try to offer water for drinking. I will spray so some droplets collect on their claws. If they are thirsty they will drink them off. If not, they just...

@Connor Yah personally I feel the water inside their bodies is more important than humidity itself. A well hydrated nymph can shed successfully in even bad humidity but one without enough water in their system is likely to have problems even if the humidity is perfect. Nymphs can desiccate fast...

I've never kept this species, but I wonder if they just don't do well in deli cups. Most people I've seen on the forums rearing them tend to do larger communal set ups with net/mesh cages and lots of stick options. Have you noticed them drinking when you spray? I would probably start hand...

Allergies to feeder colonies are not that unusual. It tends to be all the dust produced. If your allergy isn't that bad a lot of people can get away with keeping the cultures in a separate room or area like a basement/garage so their exposure is minimized greatly. I would definitely avoid...