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Yeah I'm not going to try to culture them in any sustainable way. Just figured as my bin was filthy with what I assume were mature larva it would be foolish not to collect some and let them pupae for a one time fly feast. Thanks for the info I'll scan through it all :D

This is a city composting setup that is picked up weekly (biweekly in the winter) and meat is permitted. Also I think the only reason not to is that meat stinks, draws pests (insect and otherwise like raccoons/rats), and does not break down as fast as other items if you are doing backyard...

Not sure how to make dead leaves more attractive. Perhaps attempt to add a mixture of dead and green (fake or real plants) to offset the dreary? Or perhaps make/buy some fake mushrooms to add a bit of color and fun? Or change up the substrate, colored sand, moss, or anything that is not just...

So after cleaning out my freezer of a TON of stuff (meat included) and tossing it all in the compost bin said bin has become a nightmarish writhing mess of larva and flies. On that note has anyone been crazy enough to attempt to collect the larva as they attempt to crawl out of a compost bin and...

Nice save! They always seem to pick the worse molting places no matter how hard you try. I've been moving away from plastic containers to ones with 3 mesh sides, a mesh top, and a front plastic viewing window to attempt to limit their ability to be idiots. So far it seems to be working.

Disclaimer: I am a complete novice at pinning. However I keep my mantises in the freezer until I'm ready to deal with them. I believe I recall reading somewhere that it preserves their color as well. Much easier to toss them in the freezer then alcohol in my opinion. They don't get rigid and...

Extreme quality time with your mantis. This is so cool and crazy. Congratz on the perfect molt!

40 bucks a month is kinda crazy. 5 dollars and I would have at least considered it. Time to go swap over to something else.

Welcome!  You sure are right about this place being a breath of fresh air after trudging through the toxic environments of most online "communities". Hope you enjoy your stay! I am also a recovering Warcrack addict who played/raided from the very start in open beta and somehow held on til...

Teehee, so cute. As alarming as it was the first few times I really miss my Chinese male "Priest" that used to constantly fly onto my face just to be a brat. At some point it just becomes endearing. 

I'm sad to hear that. I have had a similar problem with an adult female surprise jumping from my hand and dying less then two days later. I don't think I'm alone in somehow thinking that insects have some anti gravity induced injury super power but apparently that is not so. I am very careful to...

Congratz! They really lull you into a false sense of failure don't they. You get to the point you just expect them not to hatch cause they take so darn long. Always a great feeling getting an ooth you produced yourself to hatch! Hope you feel better soon.

So cute! Giving your mantises honey is always adorable. I had one that would grab the plastic syringe I use and REFUSE to let go.

Its just a matter of room and convenience for me. Its far harder to individually feed/spray a few dozen single containers then to dump a ton of flies into one big one and set up a humidifier so long as you are ok with a few loses to cannibalism. I rarely see any spats until they hit L3 and the...

@WalkerNom You can reconstitute dry clay (within reason) with mineral oil if need be! I actually have some glow in the dark clay as well but have not managed to play with it yet. The 3D printer takes less time as you just set it and walk away...

You are likely going to lose a few to mismolts no matter what especially in the first few instars. I tend to keep my hatches in a 10 or 15 gallon tank filled with sticks and all manner of things for molting from. I dump as many fruit flies as I can into the aquarium and they sort themselves out...

@WalkerNom It is, its great I have a lax workplace in that regard. I do have to bring them home once they get big enough to start freaking people out but watching them hunt is a welcomed diversion while it lasts. I stick those mushrooms everywhere cause they are just too fun!

I've had some of the black solider flies squirt out lines of eggs while being eaten but eggs are not nearly as bad at live maggots. Mostly I was more annoyed that the eggs were not in my bin then I was grossed out. Feeding hasn't been too traumatic, a few of the mating casualties I have had on...

I have been wondering this myself lately as my Chinese mantises have reached that awkward age where they are too big for fruit flies but still too small for the solider flies and seem to rather turn on each other then take on the big scary black buzzers. There are a ton of these on the route I...