A Miracle

[minomantis]

During the past four days, my mantis was not doing well at all! She had some crickets and I think came down with something fierce! She was very slow with her responses she caught a crane fly but didn't eat it. (it was literally in her arms the entire night) Anytime I sprayed her, she would drink but then regurgitate some liquid and it was just a bad sign. Then she fell to the floor from the hanging plant when I came back from classes. I put her on a paper towel that night thinking that she would die by the morning. The next morning came and she was still alive.....ok...I blew on her and she would kinda freak out! (she didn't like being on her back) Then I put her on a plant and went to classes. When I came back, se had moved and was kinda standing up on her own. Then the night happened and when I woke up, she is literally holding herself up and her antenna are alert. I'm sure she's not 100% but if you saw what she looked like before, this is crazy! She is going on her 2 week as an adult so I'm sure she has fighting power! I just can't believe that she is still alive and moving. Wow!

 

[Sticky]

Keep giving her water. It should help flush out what she ate that was sickening her.

 

[sally]

I am glad she is doing better. I really dread it when they get an infection. Honey maybe, when she is keeping in the water. Continued good luck

 

[bobericc]

You'll find this happens a lot with crickets..

Do not feed the mantis crickets exclusively

 

[Rick]

You'll find this happens a lot with crickets..

Do not feed the mantis crickets exclusively

Crickets are fine. I fed mantids nothing but crickets for many years with very very few problems. I've seen this exact problem on many different diets. Crickets can be bad if sourced from a place that doesn't take care of them though. You have to keep your crickets healthy.

I just had a mantis have this problem (never fed a cricket) and she recovered too. She wasn't quite as bad as this one sounds but usually the regurgitation problem ends in death.

 

[devetaki9]

I feed only crickets and waxworms(for treats), but I also raise my own crickets so I keep them spotless and know exactly what they are eating. I also raise my own fruit flies (starters come from Carolina biological) for the nymphs. If you raise it you know exactly what is in it