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I joined a waiting list for one with Mantid Kingdom.  US Mantis has them in stock, but I refuse to pay $25 for one, especially since I can get one at a much more affordable price. I had ordered one from Moonlight Mantids for $12, he supposedly lost all the nymphs before shipment, so he sent me...

Thanks for the info, again! I was going to order flies from Josh's Frogs, so yay for the heads up. I'm good on fruit flies for awhile, but will def order from Bugs in Cyberspace when it's time since there's  a few other items they have that I want. I'm just waiting for the Rainforest mantis to...

Oh! That's something else I wanna do - add springtails to the terrariums. I've been reading up on it, and had a bit of a discussion about it on one of my previous posts. I'm totally looking at all insects in a totally different light now lol.  BTW, I like to reading so enthusiastically type as...

Yes, I remember that - I thought it sounded like something I'd do  :P   - I kinda have a fondness for crickets.   Thanks for the link, and I'll definitely hit you up for more cricket "how tos" when the time comes. 

@CosbyArt Ok, good to know. I need to find a source for the larger black ones :D

It's the Socker Greenhouse from Ikea (I spray painted it silver & put 1/2" foam feet under each corner to raise it enough fit a heating mat underneath) - http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70186603/  :)

Wow! Definitely won't risk it  :o    I'm not too keen on having roaches in the house anyhow. Being in Florida, there are so many bugs and we occasionally get HUGE roaches in the house and that's more than enough for me! So with that being said, it's settled - no feeder roaches! I will find a...

I had been buying both melanogaster and hydei.  I have notice tho that the hydei varies tho, which confuses me. The last few times that I purchased hydei they were gold color and of course bigger than the melanogaster (as in first pic), but the first time I purchased hydei they were larger...

@CosbyArt  Ugh roaches  :wacko:    I tired to convince myself that the green ones would be better lol. Thanks for the heads up on roaches & the FL law. I didn't even think of that. As always you are wealth of information. I can do crickets, but I thought I read that feeding crickets too...

Yup, 18 tall - Good to know! :D

Maybe I'll start with trying a few of the smaller species. I did see one of the mantis sites selling Banana roaches (green ones), for some reason they don't trigger my phobia like the brown ones. Maybe I could try those, but not sure how big they are (ideal size for large adult mantids).

@rantology  Awesome. Thank you :) I know they can extend how often you have to change the substrate, but I was wondering how you know when it's time to change it?

Right now I mist every morning. I mist lighter for the ones with lower humidity requirements, but I noticed there was mold growing in my Shield's substrate ( eco earth) when she was still in her cup, so I've tried not to spray the enclosures too much. I ordered some gages to stick inside the...

@rantology Very cool! Thank you! Where would I purchase deal leaf litter?  And would I just put it on top of the eco earth, or mix it in?

I probably should have thought of this before getting into mantids, but can they thrive on flies, meal/max worms, and a few crickets? I have an irrational fear of roaches, so I don't know if it's something I'll be able to "keep" let alone handle - even with 10" feeding tongs!

Living in Florida, it's always humid. Even with the AC running constantly, the house is still always 50-65% humidity. I was wondering how that works for the mantis habitats before spraying. Would the cups & terrariums (when dry) be at least the same humidity as the house? Probably a dumb...

So far the Shield in the 8x8x8 is working out well. She's very aggressive and will chase her prey down, so since the stable flies go to the top and it's where she hangs out she's catching her food no problem.  I have noticed that she's more active in the exo terra. In her 32 oz cup she basically...

LOL I'm starting to realize that - says the girl who HATES hot glue :P

Thanks all! I had thought of the mesh enclosures, but I was worried with all the animals I have. Even my 32oz cups are inside of a mini greenhouse to prevent the cats from knocking them off the shelf. I also wasn't sure how I'd adjust humidity. I probably should of had this conversation BEFORE...

@CosbyArt I bought the Exo Terras because, based on comments & photos I seen here, it seemed like they were ideal. I'm new to mantids and I guess perhaps I read it all wrong :(    but I did have had plans to address a few of the issues... The nymphs will stay in their 32oz cups until they...