Carolina Mantis

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Kp1029

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Hello. My name is Kristi! I'm new here. I found a baby carolina mantis (I think) back in the spring and it survived in my garden all summer long. I have pictures of it from just a tiny nymph. I lost track of it at the end of summer and recently found what may be the same mantis or may be a different one, but I've developed a bond to mantises now and brought this one in as a pet. I need advice badly! I read they eat crickets so for the past week it has been eating small crickets from petsmart which I am now seeing is potentially lethal. What do I feed her? And where do I get it? Will worms from a pet store work? Winter is coming so outdoor bugs will be scarce. I want her to live as long as possible which I'm sure isnt too much longer naturally, but maybe she will make it to the spring. Thank you for any help you can provide as far as Carolina mantis care.

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Nice pic, she is ok with crickets, just watch that she eats it in a timely matter. When going to lay eggs she will be off food, then you need to remove it. Also I sell 7 different sizes of flies for her, she will want the blue bottle fly . Send me shipping at paypal and I will send a small order free for you to try for her, she will love them.

 
Thanks for the advice! I really really appreciate your offer, but my fiance does not want flies in the house. I explained to him that they won't be flying around the house but he still isn't okay with it. He is greatly entertained by the mantis and holds it, but he is strict on having certain bugs in our house. Should I be able to catch a house fly or moth, could I feed that? From what I've read they will eat just about any bug if it's the appropriate size, but I keep seeing mixed advice. Some say no pet store crickets, some say no outdoor bugs because they may have been exposed to pesticides. I would like to avoid buying bugs online and I am just stuck on what I can find locally that will be safe. I would just feel horrible if I hurt my mantis by feeding wrong. Could I use worms from the pet store to alternate with crickets? Are outdoor or bugs I find indoors safe to give?

 
I use outdoor bugs most. If you use pet store crix, keep them in a clean environment with fresh food for a few days before feeding them to your mantis. 

- MantisGirl13

 
Do just about any outdoor bugs work? As long as they aren't too big of course? 

 
Kp1029 said:
Do just about any outdoor bugs work? As long as they aren't too big of course? 
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If they are the right size, most work. I've noticed that beetles are not a favorite, but flies, moths, butterflies, skippers, grasshoppers, crickets, etc seem to work well. Try to avoid stink bugs and ladybugs, as well as assassin bugs and wasps. 

- MantisGirl13

 
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If you have a porch light on at night you can catch moths that are attracted to it. That is until it gets cold which it probably will be too cold for moths soon. I catch moths from my front lights all the time and haven't had any problems.

If flies are a no go crickets and wax worms will work. You can also keep a container of wax worms and have them turn into moths. Though that does take a little while. My Carolina mantises love moths and crickets. Like said above crickets are fine to use, as long as they are healthy and well kept there should be no problems.

 

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