Are We Over-Feeding Our Mantids?

[ShieldMantid1997]

Who told you that?

I too would like to know, because that does not seem to make much sense to me?

I don't like feeding mine till they look like they are going to pop (unless its a gravid female ), just because they look uncomfortable that way. I do though, keep my mantids rather fat at all time.

 

[patrickfraser]

I sometimes let mine go 2-3 days without feeding with no problems. Just a hungrier, more aggressive mantis which is cool by me. If it is a "non-food" day they will just get misted so they can re-hydrate.

 

[Rick]

'They' is what I meant for online research.

A mantid owner who has had many different mantids said her Stagmomantis were weaker than the others.

Stagmomantis = genus

Limbata = species

Perhaps I was wrong about all mantids in the wild being thinner. Though I will be sure not to let my mantids die. I am not going to starve them or anything. I just want to feed them less than I currently do. I'm thinking to go by the size of their abdomen to decide when they should be fed.

Your observation may be due to the particular location or region. It shouldn't be assumed it applies everywhere.

What one random person says about the mantids they keep in captivity means little. Weaker compared to what? Weaker how?

I've been saying on here for years to gauge feeding by looking at the abdomen size. Unless you are feeding at one extreme or another your mantids are not going to starve nor die. I personally feed every other day and keep everybody plump. Gravid females are fed more. That is what works for me, but may not work for the next person.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Rick is right on in both posts, I have had thousands and some are seeming to be weaker, but what that really means is our system of having them hatch for us is the problem, temps are not right , humidity is not right, and food source is not right. They come from places that are not comparable to ours most times, the species are used to things being so so, when I was growing up,,,, mannnnnnny mooons ago, I use to get upset that one animal on nat geo would eat another, as they always filmed these things, but my parents told me that was the way in the wild, and they were right, so as where one mantis comes from new zealand and another from africa, two different places on earth, two different varieties in atmosphere. Do u see where this is going? just because I have my heat on 72F and my humidity at 50%, means they will hatch, will it be right for where they originated from? no, so they may not do as well as if they were left where they were from. ok, hands now numb, gotto go.

 

[lancaster1313]

Mantids will be as weak as your husbandry. I have found Stagmomantis carolina to be very hardy. Some of the more challenging species need different husbandry and conditions, but I wouldn't call any species "weak". You just need to know what you can do to have them thrive.

 

[dtuck91]

I wouldn't call any species "weak". You just need to know what you can do to have them thrive.

QFT

 

[MantidBro]

More often you feed, the shorter their life will be.

So I agree with feeding then2-4days

I also read that from another mantid owner.

 

[MantidBro]

I sometimes let mine go 2-3 days without feeding with no problems. Just a hungrier, more aggressive mantis which is cool by me. If it is a "non-food" day they will just get misted so they can re-hydrate.

Yeah it's not an issue. I think many mantid owners feel sensitive toward this topic because they're worried I'm going to starve mine. But I wouldn't let that happen - I watch them all day! And I think a mantid SHOULD get hungry. It's what makes them go looking for food, which gives them exercise. And when I see that they're getting thinner, I'll feed them.

 

[MantidBro]

Mantids will be as weak as your husbandry. I have found Stagmomantis carolina to be very hardy. Some of the more challenging species need different husbandry and conditions, but I wouldn't call any species "weak". You just need to know what you can do to have them thrive.

Yeah turns out she actually lost her walking appendages due to me putting her in the windows! x_x I also wouldn't consider a mantid weak at all, any species lol, but I DID hear that from an owner who has had A LOT of mantids in her time...

 

[gripen]

Yeah it's not an issue. I think many mantid owners feel sensitive toward this topic because they're worried I'm going to starve mine. But I wouldn't let that happen - I watch them all day! And I think a mantid SHOULD get hungry. It's what makes them go looking for food, which gives them exercise. And when I see that they're getting thinner, I'll feed them.

They should be kept well feed all the time. Thats like saying if you starve someone thye will work harder to eat.

 

[MantidBro]

I too would like to know, because that does not seem to make much sense to me?

I don't like feeding mine till they look like they are going to pop (unless its a gravid female ), just because they look uncomfortable that way. I do though, keep my mantids rather fat at all time.

I've also heard this from other mantid owners, I believe it's based on their experience. My first mantids were really fat too and I realized they dragged their abdomen rather than had it raised above the ground which doesn't look healthy to me, honestly...

 

[MantidBro]

They should be kept well feed all the time. Thats like saying if you starve someone thye will work harder to eat.

That's not what I am intending to do. I'm merely feeding them every 2-3 days; it's not as if I would let them go without nourishment for 5 or 10 days. In addition to that statement, even when feeding them every 2-3 days, if I realize they look thin, I will feed them whether it's time or not. Like I said - I keep a good eye on them.

 

[MantidBro]

Rick is right on in both posts, I have had thousands and some are seeming to be weaker, but what that really means is our system of having them hatch for us is the problem, temps are not right , humidity is not right, and food source is not right. They come from places that are not comparable to ours most times, the species are used to things being so so, when I was growing up,,,, mannnnnnny mooons ago, I use to get upset that one animal on nat geo would eat another, as they always filmed these things, but my parents told me that was the way in the wild, and they were right, so as where one mantis comes from new zealand and another from africa, two different places on earth, two different varieties in atmosphere. Do u see where this is going? just because I have my heat on 72F and my humidity at 50%, means they will hatch, will it be right for where they originated from? no, so they may not do as well as if they were left where they were from. ok, hands now numb, gotto go.

Yeah it seemed Majesty lost her walking appendages due to the fact that I often let her in the window, on the window screen. Their walking hairs stick to it and the tarsa tear.

And you're right, it IS hard to replicate their natural environment.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Yeah it seemed Majesty lost her walking appendages due to the fact that I often let her in the window, on the window screen. Their walking hairs stick to it and the tarsa tear.

I think thats what I told you? I feed mine every day spare maybe one day a week and they slam it down, every 2-3 days and they would want to kill me.

 

[Ranitomeya]

I feed my mantids as often as they are willing to eat. They seem to know when they can't stuff any more food in and stop.

I check to see if they're interested and remove what they don't eat at the end of the day. If they behave like they feel threatened by the food, I remove it and wait a day or two before trying to offer them food again.

The mantids outside are usually quite hungry, and their body mass has little to do with what's good for them, it has more to do with the prey frequency. Yes, a well-fed mantis will die sooner, but it's only because they are more quickly able to grow to maturity well-fed than a mantis that has great difficulty getting enough body mass to get it to the next instar.

I've personally never had issues with mantids dragging their abdomens around on the ground, seeing as how they're usually hanging at some angle upside down or suspending themselves in a way that their abdomens aren't scraping against something.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Well put Ranitomeya, I like the way you think!

 

[hibiscusmile]

I am also of the opinion that an overfed mantis is the main cause of egg bound, theory is the more they eat, the more eggs produced and they build up so to speak and therefore are harder to move. Or trying to explain is hard, I stopped feeding everyday as the mantis seems to get so fat as some have noticed that they cannot function propertly and like getting no excercise will make a person fat and unable to move around and also fat human females lose the ability to have children, I mean really fat females, eggbound!

 

[fleurdejoo]

I get what you're saying though about the too much feeding.

I have seen pictures of them on here where they look like they are about to split, and I guess they actually can split open.

That's just scary.

I don't like the dragging abdomen thing.

So I feed mine every day except on a day when I know they had too much the day before.

I've heard people talk on here before about mantid's barfing, and I personally feel like mine do it if they are overfed.

Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about but I know it only seems to happen when they have pigged out!!!

But I do think nymphs should be offered food every day unless they are gonna molt ya' know.

 

[MantidBro]

I think thats what I told you? I feed mine every day spare maybe one day a week and they slam it down, every 2-3 days and they would want to kill me.

Yeah you told me about the feet falling off because of screens. Thanks for the info, I'm making sure not to do that again!

 

[Golden State Vivs]

Considering many mantids are ambush hunters that camoflage themselves to look like flowers, leaves, twigs, bark, lichen, moss, etc. I don't buy into mantids needing a lot of exercise.

My experience with frogs would lead me to believe that in order to keep your animal healthy (inverts included) you need to make them work for their food. Hand feeding presents no challenge, if you're worried about your mantid getting "exercise" make them hunt for their food by feeding them flying insects or climbing insects.

Feeding frequency in most creatures also depends on the stage of life. Young mantids will likely require more frequent feeding than adult mantids, pregnant females will require more food than males, etc.

I am new to mantids, but this seems common sense to me.