Amazing idea for an amazing shelter

[Quake]

I have this big old bookshelf I used to use, and then it ended up being covered in nick-knacks and old documents, so recently I cleaned it off and turned it into a wall to practice spray painting on. After it lost it's usage for that, I moved it out of its room to be thrown away, and today someone mentioned covering the front with wire mesh, using the shelves as dividers, and making a giant habitat for multiple mantids. This will be my project over the next few months, as I get mantids to fill the space, sand off the old paint, and pick up the supplies.

If anyone wants to see pictures when I am finished, give me a ring.

BTW it is 30in wideX12in deepX60in tall! (Imagine how much I would have paid for a habitat that size at a pet store!)

 

[mantidsandgeckos]

Wow, nice idea! :lol:

 

[d0rk2dafullest]

wow thats a great idea mate

i remember my friend has a booksheld that's in perfect squares(6'Lx7H')(12"x12" squares), kinda like those japanese ones for vases,

well anyways, if you got to a home depot and bought some wire mesh and cover taht up , i dont think it'd be that much at all.

think about it, a whole show enclosure. for liek 20-30 bux at most maybe. that's a great idea man put posts of pics of it when ur done i would liek to see =)

 

[The_Asa]

Little confused, if it's a book shelf, how are you going to get the mantis out or open the 'cage'?

 

[d0rk2dafullest]

it's custom , so custom make doors =)

and feeder holes!

 

[Rick]

Are the mantids in containers on the shelves or just loose in there? If they are free in there I can't see it working to well.

 

[Quake]

I would make a balsa frame over the mesh, to give it some stbility, and build little doors over the mesh, which I can cut out and make little latches on. The Mantis will be free in the enclosure, becuase the bookshelf IS the container.

I also am going to dril holes in the sides and cover with mesh or plastic (haven't decided the benefits of either) to put a lamp in each section.

 

[Quake]

I also thought of how dry my house gets in the winter, and how humidity can seep out of an open enclosure, so I am going to buy a humidity stone for each section.

They are little vibrating stones that you put in a dish of water, and they make a foggy mist, pure humidity, and they last forever, just add more water.

 

[collinchang635]

I also thought of how dry my house gets in the winter, and how humidity can seep out of an open enclosure, so I am going to buy a humidity stone for each section.They are little vibrating stones that you put in a dish of water, and they make a foggy mist, pure humidity, and they last forever, just add more water.

Is it like a humidifier? (The machine that produces foggy mist)

 

[d0rk2dafullest]

see that bookcase? just put some wire mesh over all of the fronts, and make some doors real quick ( i think if u make the door half the size that book case

shelf it should be good with feeder holes) lets see what kinda bookcase u have buddy! GOODLUCK POST PICS SOON!

 

[Quake]

it is like a humidifier, but it takes a lot less energy, because it takes watch batteries, a lot smaller, and I can put it right inside the enclosure, and the mist is thinner. The cool thing is they only cost about $15

 

[Rick]

Please post pics when done. Are the lamps for heat or light? If for heat they will dry it out even more.

 

[mrblue]

you should knock out one or two of the shelves to make a couple of larger containers, for maybe some p.paradoxa or g.gongylodes! if youre handy enough (and you sound like you are) to pull it off well then it sounds like a nice creative (not to mention money-saving) idea. ive thought about doing similar stuff but i'm not really handy enough to knock together the front doors. the main drawback i have thought of about doing this kind of thing is that bookshelves are not very deep. but beggars cant be choosers i guess. would love to see pics of the finished thing, good luck!

 

[Quake]

The lamps would be for light, and for heat during the correct time of year, but in the winter the reason it is dry is because I keep the heat in my house fairly high. So during the winter I will have the humidity stones, and some 25 watt bulbs(since my room is dark), and then come spring and fall I will use heater bulbs.

And the shelf thing is taken care of, it wasn't an expensive bookshelf, just a laminated fiberboard one from office depot I bought years ago for about $10. they run about $25 now, but the shelves move around and are mounted on pegs. I plan to make one big one in the center, since the middle shelf is screwed in, and then use that for breeding/ a larger adult species. And then I will have room for about 3-5 smaller habitats for small mantids or youngins.

The overall project will cost me not even $150.

$5 for more sandpaper and balsa wood framing (I have a sander already)

$20 for screen (a 25 foot roll which should leave me a lot of leftovers for any other ideas)

$10 for the drill bit to open a hole big enough for a lamps

$50 for extra lamps, I already have 2

$30 for multiple humidity stones

$5 for non toxic caulking, staples and furniture nails to secure the mesh tightly.

And after that I will have a habitat that I would probably have paid a few hundred dollars on.

If it works out in the end, I will be wanting to invest in some African,, Budwing, and/or wide Armed mantids. Once I become familiar with caring for the ones I have, that is.

 

[Quake]

My bookshelf is very similar to this one.

I thought they were a bit cheaper, but it must have been a while since I checked.

either way, I a making roughly an 85 gallon habitat.

 

[The_Asa]

Will the wood mold with all the mist and humidity?

 

[d0rk2dafullest]

i dont think the case should mold if it is clearcoated first =)

 

[Quake]

It is laminated wood, and I could give it a coat or two of scotch guard if I need.

 

[d0rk2dafullest]

i think ur good if it's laminated =)