A simple incubation method

[Colorcham427]

Incubating mantid ooths are really easy.

Get a few cardboard boxes, try to find boxes that are at least 4 ft. tall, the other dimensions does not matter.

Put the box together, cut out a side so you literally have a small door. Thick cardboard doesn't fall apart when cutting open a large gap on one side of the cube.

Cut a hole in the middle of the top. Bring the cord for the heat lamp thru the hole, duct tap it on the outside so the light hangs inside.

Turn it on, wait and see what the temp. is in an hour.

You can easily figure out which wattage is best.

Then put the containers inside the box, and that's that.

As long as the cardboard box is at least 4 ft. tall, the bulb wouldn't be too close to bake the containers.

I like to incubate all of my oothecae in a 32 ounce deli cup, glued to a cloth lid.

I use non-toxic glue, you can get it anywhere. Hot glue is a bad idea for live oothecae.

If you can dedicate one box specifically for ooths that must be kept humid, try putting a bowl of organic soil soaked inside of the bottom of the box. Mist that bowl of soil daily to up that humidity.

Keep in mind you have many bulb wattages to choose from.

 

[Seattle79]

That sounds like a good idea.

-Kevin

 

[more_rayne]

Why not just put the container on a reptile heating mat? That's what I do, far easier.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Would not the box become brittle from the heat and eventually catch on fire? :mellow:

 

[massaman]

well I think I got a better method though but the problem is only it would work only maybe for single ooths in 32 containers and that would require a 5-10 gallon tank with a metal screen and place the ooth and a thermometer on one side of the tank and a dish lamp on the other side and put it on the top facing down on the metal screen and the other side you place the ooth so not to be exposed to the light but the temp in the tank would go up and this I think would not fry the ooth or ooths being as they are not under the direct light of the lamp!The heat would circulate in the tank and the ooth would still keep warm I think!

 

[massaman]

I thought you had to destroy all your mantis collections because of your parents?

 

[Colorcham427]

I thought you had to destroy all your mantis collections because of your parents?

lol I was kidding bro.

No the cardboard does not catch on fire. I've been doing this sort of thing, breeding moths for a long time now. You can be cautious, but in my experience nothing comes of it.

I always thought having a heat pad under plastic wasn't such a good idea.

 

[PhilinYuma]

For the world's simplest ooth raising setup, consult your copy of Orin's Praying Mantids: Keeping Aliens. I'm sure that you all have a copy, but in case you need another one to give as a Thanksgiving gift, check Peter's site, Bugs in Cyberspace.

 

[PeterF]

I have our oothes on top of the cricket breeding tank set up, which is warmed.

But then, I may be the only one with the luxury of a 95 gallon tank to hold all the smaller tanks/tubs the crickets breed in. Hold the heat in well enough.

 

[PeterF]

"You can be cautious, but in my experience nothing comes of it."

That, ultimately, is the point of being cautious.

I would worry about ventilation in your set up.

 

[MantidLord]

I simply put my ooths (in a jar) on my ps3 or computer (which ever one I'm using the most in that time period). I spray like twice every week or something like that, and they hatch. Of course this isn't for non-native U.S mantids.

 

[PhilinYuma]

Perhaps my setup is different, but:

I keep tropical and subtropical mantids at about 80F year round. This makes them happy mantids.

Tropical mantis ooths in the wild are subject to the same temps as happy adults and hatch fine at about 80F.

I just put them in a 32oz pot and leave them in the bug room at about 80F until they hatch.

Am I missing something here?