Bee Pollen and Honey

[Krissim Klaw]

I'm curious about the usage of Bee Pollen and Honey in a mantises diet. I've read some time ago the research in one study on pollen and the benefits that were found when it was added to a mantises diet. It's one of the reasons I love to try and catch wild insects who frequent flowers when I can. I noticed on this forum that a number of the members however take it a step further and supplement their mantises diets by coating feeders in a pollen mixture.

For those who have tried it, do you notice a difference in your mantises health? Have you ever had any adverse reactions? Also were do you get your pollen and what do you do to prepare it and offer it to your mantis?

Also, has any one ever tried adding some of the pollen directly to their feeder insects diet? It appears the pollen has a nice protein ratio and I can't help but think little gluttonous crickets would chow down on it happily.

Another question I have is on honey. I know a number of people often offer some to certain feeder insects like flies, but I've also seen some other's mention directly feeding it to mantises. Does it do any thing? I'm sort of curious to try giving some to mine but I'm a bit afraid it might make her sick or something. Also, any particular brand you guys get? I would imagine you would want to try and get as natural as a honey from the store and try to avoid anything with extra unwanted additives.

Thanks in advance for those who stop to answer some of my many questions. ^___^

 

[OGIGA]

I've given honey directly to my mantises. They usually like it unless they've already eaten too much. When shopping for honey, look for pure or 100% honey, otherwise it's likely just something sweet plus a little honey.

I've also given pollen directly to my mantises. I put small pieces on the thing they're eating so they eat the piece of pollen thinking that it's the insect. I think they like eating the insect better.

Never had adverse effects. I think the mantises get healthier, but it could also be my imagination.

 

[hibiscusmile]

My mantis overall seem to be pretty healthy. They really like the honey it is the one fun thing to do with them, that does not make me sad. When they stick their little heads down to get a drink I always feel bad, like I should have a bowl of water in with them , but now on the other hand with honey, they wag their little butts and it puts a smile on my face :lol: ...c me smiling? Yen and a few other die hard mantis breeders use the pollen mixture a lot and seem to swear by it, so if they like it, it is good enough for me. If you can't take their word for it then who can you trust!

 

[Moosashi]

yeah I put some drops of honey on the walls of my deli cups and the mantids will sometimes kneel down to lap it up, and sometimes they run through the drops and then end up licking the honey off of their limbs as they preen. it probably helps keep the fruit flies alive longer in the cups (the ones I pour into the mantis cups) because I sometimes see the fruit flies come over to the honey drops and drink it.

 

[macro junkie]

i feed the flowermantids pollen.i feed the flys honey with mixed pollen.i dont see any difference..il carry on doing it tho..

 

[Mantida]

I get my pollen from mantisplace.com. Rebecca sells them, they're called Yen's blend on the site.

I've fed the pollen to crickets before, and the crickets seemed to like it. I also coat my crickets with it. Pollen really does help when it's added to the mantis diet. When my two gravid females were producing oothecae, the oothecae they laid after they had several meals of pollen-coated crickets were much larger than the ones when they just had uncoated crickets.

I totally recommend the pollen - just make sure it doesn't get too humid where you store it, otherwise it'll clump together.

 

[Gurd]

I gut load flies pure runny honey and pure bee pollen

I haven't tried coating flies with pollen yet

Most of my mantis have a drop of honey now and again as a treat.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Thanks for all the info everyone. I think I will try some. I saw the one Rebecca sells, and I think I will try that one out. Also plan to try a bit of honey for a treat. With as gluttonous as my current mantis, Soothslayer is, I'm sure she'll happily gobble it down.