Care Questions I Cannot Find Answers To

[kurlyq101]

I am new, and have done general research, but can't find info on more specific/odd concerns. Answers to any or all are appreciated.
Urgent:

1. How do I keep a mantis safe from falling during molt? Total prevention is ideal, but will measures like soft substrate w/ no loose feeders keep it safe in the event it does fall?


Less Urgent but Still Important:

2. I'm actively assuming no, but is it safe to smoke and/or burn candles with mantids in the house?

3. How far away/separated do they need to be from household cleaning? i.e. What do if they're in my bedroom and cleaner fumes are coming from my attached bathroom?

 

[Introvertebrate]

1. How do I keep a mantis safe from falling during molt? Total prevention is ideal, but will measures like soft substrate w/ no loose feeders keep it safe in the event it does fall?

Make sure it's got something to grip during the molt. Yes, loose feeders are generally not a good idea.

2. I'm actively assuming no, but is it safe to smoke and/or burn candles with mantids in the house?

3. How far away/separated do they need to be from household cleaning? i.e. What do if they're in my bedroom and cleaner fumes are coming from my attached bathroom?

Can you move them at times like that?

 

[agent A]

I am new, and have done general research, but can't find info on more specific/odd concerns. Answers to any or all are appreciated.
Urgent:

1. How do I keep a mantis safe from falling during molt? Total prevention is ideal, but will measures like soft substrate w/ no loose feeders keep it safe in the event it does fall?


Less Urgent but Still Important:

2. I'm actively assuming no, but is it safe to smoke and/or burn candles with mantids in the house?

3. How far away/separated do they need to be from household cleaning? i.e. What do if they're in my bedroom and cleaner fumes are coming from my attached bathroom?

1: You want really good gripping surfaces. I generally put a silk leaf in the cups with a bit of stem so if the mantis wants to wrap its legs it can, and if it wants to sprawl it can
if the mantis falls, the danger doesn't come from the softness or hardness of the space it hits, but whether or not the mantis can still get the molt finished. it usually can if the legs have escaped, but before this, not so likely

2: it isn't safe to smoke period. I have no idea what you're smoking, but my guesses are tobacco or weed. the compounds in both of these plants are more harmful to insects than they are to us. I do not know how heat stable all of the compounds in these plants are (I'm not a biochemist), but what I will tell you is that if your space is so enclosed that the burning of something will drastically change the air quality to such a degree you're worried about insects that have a respiration rate probably 0.05% of yours, you PROBABLY shouldn't have something burning in said space. I.e. the smoke will likely diffuse to the extent that it isn't so harmful. smoking within a few inches of a mantis is probably a bad idea but smoking a room or 2 over, assuming your house has good ventilation, is probably not going to do anything

3: this depends on what the chemical you're cleaning with is. I generally only clean with bleach, and because bleach rapidly dissipates and rinses cleanly, there aren't horrid fumes that are harmful in any significant way. granted, it's not a good idea to spray bleach directly on a cup with a mantis in it, but a 10% bleach solution poses no significant risk if used in the next room over. what you will want to be careful with are oils (particularly plant-derived and essential oils), alcohols (most insects are very sensitive to ethanol and most cleaning grade alcohol is denatured with some really nasty stuff too), organic solvents, and vinegar. Yes, vinegar is often touted as a great cleaner for animal cages, and in some respects it is. However, you don't want your animals ingesting it. I would clean with bleach and if you're really worried about it, you could spray a little hydrogen peroxide on the containers/surfaces after to react off any residual bleach, but that isn't necessary