Ants for nymphs?

[Ricardo]

would it be okay to feed ants ( those small black ones bigger then fruit flies but smaller then house flies ) to a three week old chinese mantis?

 

[massaman]

you can try it but if the mantis wont eat it then try something else but I would avoid any bigger ants though and the ants maybe ok but the nymphs may need to get bigger in case they dont eat them!

 

[Arwen9]

I wouldn't risk it, personally.

Ants have mandibles that can pinch and bite your mantis. Worse, some ants have a stinger with various types of venom. I have fed ants to a nymph once, and it ended up losing some of the tarsi on one foot and limping for several days. <_< I didn't do it again.

But I'm also a little super cautious when it comes to prey items. I never feed bees, wasps, etc either which probably would be fine to others.

 

[PhilinYuma]

Most ants use formic acid as a trail marker and mantids will avoid them. Harvester ants, including fire ants, do not use formic acid and a very hungry ant will eat them They are not recommended as a food source, though. Let me say this more strongly. No ants!

 

[Emile.Wilson]

why not fruit flies?

 

[massaman]

I guess I am lucky when I had used ants to feed some of my nymphs in the past but always watch the nymphs feed so that nothing goes wrong most of the time!

 

[Ricardo]

why not fruit flies?

My friend in Vancouver bought some chinese off me. I thought there would be petstores that sell pinheads or fruit flies because here in surrey petland sells pinhead crickets.

So I was trying to find out if ants would be okay for nymphs

I have plenty of ff's for mine though

 

[psyconiko]

I tried once to feed some Miomantis with Argentine ants....did not work.

 

[Emile.Wilson]

My friend in Vancouver bought some chinese off me. I thought there would be petstores that sell pinheads or fruit flies because here in surrey petland sells pinhead crickets.

So I was trying to find out if ants would be okay for nymphs

I have plenty of ff's for mine though

Noahs pet ark. On broadway sells fruit flies. if you're ever in need. In the kitsilano area

 

[Ricardo]

Noahs pet ark. On broadway sells fruit flies. if you're ever in need. In the kitsilano area

Really? thanks! Are they flightless?

 

[Emile.Wilson]

Really? thanks! Are they flightless?

From what i remember they could fly. They have Melangnoster and Hydei.