crickets and gonglyus

[dlemmings]

Just Got a Violin nymph and have been reading various care sheets and posts on this site....it appears if I read correctly that an occasional cricket (like if no BBF or moths are available) would not be harmfull to the Gongys.

While prolonged cricket dies could cause infertility, but not death as I have read on some care sheets.

does this sound correct?

I know they prefer flying foods like My ghost does, but it is a plus to offer something to eat when pupa are between hatches and wild caught food is scarce....what are your experiences?

 

[gripen]

if you have a gongy get more flies. its as simple as that.

 

[Bryce08]

yeah honestly will just be easier to get flies, you will have to work hard at getting them to eat a cricket...plus flys are cheaper

use rebecca(mantisplace.com) she has spikes and pupae....really realy easy to deal with if you use a fridge to slow them down, and also make them live longer.

 

[gripen]

what im saying is if you cant have a constant supply of flies dont get a gongy. just like if you only have cat food dont get a dog.

 

[dlemmings]

I have HF, HF pupa and BBF pupa plus spikes so I have prepared, just wondered as "just in case" no one plans to fail, only "fails to plan"

An emergency back up plan so to speak

The real pont to my question was that I have read conflicting things on this subject and was curious is someone had an answer from experience...I promise not to feed my gongy cat-food!

 

[gripen]

lol! it wont kill her but it defiantly is not good.

 

[Precarious]

There are always meal worms to fall back on. You have to hand feed but the same goes for crickets.

 

[dlemmings]

lol! it wont kill her but it defiantly is not good.

which, crickets or cat food??????

There are always meal worms to fall back on. You have to hand feed but the same goes for crickets.

ah I had not thought of that, I think my local reptile shop carries those and wax worms...I think wax worms would be more here size (I think she is L-6)

 

[gripen]

which, crickets or cat food??????

ah I had not thought of that, I think my local reptile shop carries those and wax worms...I think wax worms would be more here size (I think she is L-6)

cat food lol!

 

[lunarstorm]

I agree with the general advice to stick with flies. I use crickets as a semi-regular feeder for many mantid species but not for Violins. In my experience, crickets are ignored and left alone, thus serve little value as food and even poses a health risk to the violin nymph(s).

 

[jcal]

Take a look at page 26&27.

http://www.ukmantisforums.co.uk/newsletters/may2011.pdf

 

[dlemmings]

I think the mealworm or wax worn (in an emergency) is gonna be the way to go...If I find myself in a jam.

it would be great to fing a reptile store that sells gut loaded flys plus spikes and pupa!

Carey or Rebecca...the weather is so much nicer here in socal lol

 

[sporeworld]

I've had plenty of lean times, where flies were absent and I got nervous. A cricket on tongs has worked for most of my Gongy's, if I wiggle and tease enough. The same technique can be used with fly grubs, and other protein sources. But, as mentioned here, and in nearly every other care sheet, flying foods (flies, moths, bees) seem to be the best diet. But I've seen no ill effects from the occassional cricket - and I've had pretty close to a thousand Gongy's.

I think you'll have better luck with them taking, holding and eatting a cricket than you will with any hard-shelled worms.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[dlemmings]

Well if my timing holds up I will not have a lapse in fly hatches and will feed flys to Gongys & creos (also cant take crix right) if I am running low and feed crickets, worms etc. to my ghost & sp. lineloa

and hopefully the warm weather will provide more wild food.

i have not tried the shine a spotlight on a white sheet at night ting...any so cal locals every try this in colder weather weather with success?

i get home after dark most of the time and that may be an option (neighbors may wonder what I am doing...lol they do already with my fly net

 

[sporeworld]

Weather's been GORGEOUS in SoCal this week, and I've seen plenty of bees, wasps and bubblebees. Strangely, I haven't seen any moths... yet. Must be flies, as well. So, you can always use one of the smelly baits (feces, or cat food - just about the same stench!), or hunt among the flowers by day, and back walls by night.

 

[frogparty]

There have been a ton of honeybees out. I use my apartments pool skimmer net to catch them. Good times

 

[gripen]

There have been a ton of honeybees out. I use my apartments pool skimmer net to catch them. Good times

lol! catching is not the hard part. the hard part is getting them in the mantis cage!

 

[dlemmings]

wish I didnt have to be at work today, would have a good chance of catching something. by the time I get home at 5:30 or 6:00 my window will be narrow.

I do want to try the white sheet at night with a spotlight (gotta get a spot light) cause the moths dont seem to come around my proch light or the light posts

 

[d17oug18]

It seems like everyone is trying to give advice rather than answer your question, so heres the answer: They can be RAISED on crickets, be healthy and die old, only draw back is gauranteed infertile ooths, many MANY breeders will feed crickets all the way till adulthood, once reached to the last molt start um on flies and theyll STILL produce nice fertile ooths =)

Hope that helped.