Chinese Dying

[HempKnight]

I decided to separate 105 of my Chinese into 4 oz. deli cups. I feed and water them almost every other day. I started to notice that if a cricket is left in the container for about a day and the mantis doesn’t eat it, the mantis dies. Now I am not sure if it is because they are babies and a lot of them die or if the crickets are beating up the mantis. I really don’t understand how the mantis would lose but hey, you never know. I was just curious about everyone else’s opinion. Thanks!

Mark

 

[Rick]

You seperated all 100+ into individual containers? You must have a lot of time to spare! Chances are most of them will die regardless of what you do. It's just one of those things.

 

[OGIGA]

Did you really separate each one of them?? I wouldn't separate Chinese this early, but separating orchids this early is a lot more feasible because not as many die.

 

[Butterfly]

I have a good 4 chinese in a nice big jar together. There were 10 originally but these guys were the strong ones apparently. I feed them mini crickes but throw a few fruit flies in too, just to be sure theyre all eating. Mine are all at like an L4 level now, so maybe your just feeding them crickets too soon.

 

[HempKnight]

Ya I decided to separate a lot of them. I made my girlfriend help me so it didn't take that long :twisted:. She also helps me feed and water them so it isn’t that bad. It’s not that I have a lot of free time (I work two jobs and I'm finishing up school) it’s that I love working with inverts and reptiles. I could spend all day on them and not mind at all. So, how many of the Chinese usually live from one ooth?

 

[Way.Of.The.Mantis]

Slave labour now? How many Chinese did you get from your ooth before you separated the 105?

 

[OGIGA]

Ya I decided to separate a lot of them. I made my girlfriend help me so it didn't take that long :twisted:. She also helps me feed and water them so it isn’t that bad. It’s not that I have a lot of free time (I work two jobs and I'm finishing up school) it’s that I love working with inverts and reptiles. I could spend all day on them and not mind at all. :roll: So, how many of the Chinese usually live from one ooth?

Maybe 1-5% make it to adult, unfortunately.

 

[Rick]

Ya I decided to separate a lot of them. I made my girlfriend help me so it didn't take that long :twisted:. She also helps me feed and water them so it isn’t that bad. It’s not that I have a lot of free time (I work two jobs and I'm finishing up school) it’s that I love working with inverts and reptiles. I could spend all day on them and not mind at all. :roll: So, how many of the Chinese usually live from one ooth?

A few if you're lucky.

 

[HempKnight]

I would say I had over 150.

 

[TNeal]

I keep Chinese Mantids and hatched out several ootheca this spring. I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of nymphs I had. Realizing I could never feed them all I kept them all together in a largfe aquarium and fed them heavily. As suspected they widled their numbers down through canibalism. I did however seperate 6 in indiviidual jars and had no problem raising the individual ones. I think that the survival rate described in this thread is not correct if given the proper care. Seperating them as you dod should have yielded at least a 75% survival rate.

I believe you went wrong leaving crickets in with them. My nymphys were fed the larger fruit fly, D. hydea from hatching untill they were about L3 or L4. I didn't even try to introduce crickets till they were about L4. Then I only added tiny, 1/4 inch crickets.

Crickets can be very agressive. I have seen 3-4 1/2 inch crickets take down a 2-3 inch mantis no problem. Next time leave out the crickets for a little longer. Feed the large fruit fly D. hydea.

I currently saved 4 adults to work with and try to breed this summer. The rest I either sold or gave away.

Tom