Can Honey substitute for living food?

[Meadow98684]

Just curious. I've never been in a situation w/out food but it's bound to happen...someday, maybe on a cold windy day with no bugs outside and no money for the petstore....so I'm asking, can honey fill in for the occasional cricket who didn't show up?

 

[Mime454]

Mantids can go a long time without food anyway. I'm going to say no, that honey can't substitute for living food much more than no food at all can. They're clearly made to eat meat, not honey.

 

[Digger]

You can try people food like chicken or turkey - cooked with no chemicals or spices (i.e. never "deli" meats) and room temperature. Mantids will often accept hand-offered meat like that.

 

[massaman]

but that wont last very long and hand feeding can go only so far!

 

[Danny.]

You can try people food like chicken or turkey - cooked with no chemicals or spices (i.e. never "deli" meats) and room temperature. Mantids will often accept hand-offered meat like that.

Chicken or Turkey?

 

[hibiscusmile]

it can be raw liver or chicken or whatever, just pencil eraser size. and a drop of honey wont hurt, which brings me to a song

A spoon full of sugar makes the liver go down, the liver go down, the liver go down, in the most delightful way!

hey why don't we have a music note for the smilies Peter? :taz:

 

[Digger]

Chicken or Turkey?

Absolutely, Danny.

 

[hibiscusmile]

notice how Peter ignors grannyma!!!!

 

[Paradoxica]

Honey is almost entirely carbohydrates with a very small amount of protein, their natural food is almost entirely protein.

 

[Meadow98684]

I see. Thanks for the answers. I just got a new Creo Picti and Chinese (I think, it was a mystery) from Rebecca and the Creo won't touch it, but the Chinese (?) is crazy for it! But I'm getting some fruit-flies for them both today anyways so honey shall only be a snack

 

[Orin]

It would take a somewhat grand experiment to prove or quantify but I'm sure a mantis could survive somewhat longer with certain improper food than no food at all.

 

[PeterF]

I agree with Orin, any food over the long term is probably better than none. There's the water question too, of course.