Earthworms as feeders?

[Txmantis]

So I'm wanting to get into mantises again (had a failed attempt with a ghost a few years back) and I'm trying to find a good food source that I can raise myself easily (room temp, and easy to prepare diet) I currently raise earthworms for my garden and they're extremely prolific. Would these be an OK feeder?

 

[Mystymantis]

I have never fed my mantises earthworms before so I have no idea if they would be a good food source. It would also depend on if the mantises would actually even eat them, since they are rather large and slimy and my mantises don't even like to eat superworms at times. So I am not really sure about earthworms as feeders for mantises but maybe someone else has better advice.

What kinds of mantises are you thinking of trying because different types need different kinds of prey sometimes. Like some mantises prefer flying prey only and others will attack anything that moves.

 

[Okoboji22]

Although I never fed any mantis an earthworm I feel like they just wouldn't be a good feeder as they don't seem like they have much nutrients due to the fact that they pretty much eat leaf litter and dirt. regular feeders would likely be better.

 

[Txmantis]

I plan to either get a Chinese Mantis, Carolina mantis, or a ghost, as they all seem readily available and simple to care for. As for nutritional value, they're actually pretty high in protein, and I feed mine mostly fruit and veggie scraps so they have a very varied diet. Any suggestions on other simple feeders to raise? Fruit flies seem messy, and from what I read roaches, and crickets seem to need a heat source.

 

[Connor]

In my opinion earthworms would not be a very good food source at all. If you plan on getting a small mantis then you will most likely have to feed fruit flies when they are young. I thought the same thing as you when I first came into this hobby. But fruit fly cultures are not near as messy as you think. For a bigger food source I would for sure go with fly pupae. They are readily available and hatch at room temp. You can even just put right amount of pupae in the mantis enclosure and boom. Dinner in a few days, that most importantly, you don’t have to touch. You can store fly pupae in the fridge for up to a few weeks.

 

[Txmantis]

In my opinion earthworms would not be a very good food source at all. If you plan on getting a small mantis then you will most likely have to feed fruit flies when they are young. I thought the same thing as you when I first came into this hobby. But fruit fly cultures are not near as messy as you think. For a bigger food source I would for sure go with fly pupae. They are readily available and hatch at room temp. You can even just put right amount of pupae in the mantis enclosure and boom. Dinner in a few days, that most importantly, you don’t have to touch. You can store fly pupae in the fridge for up to a few weeks.

My only issue with fly pupae is that I can't produce them myself, so if I forget to order online (which is extremely likely) then my mantis starves. that's actually how my first one died, so I would rather have something I can raise myself.

 

[Connor]

It’s hard to forget to order pupae when you are constantly looking in the container for more. Plus if you run out and mantis shouldn’t die from starvation in a few days. Usually takes a week or two.

 

[Orin]

I think earthworms would provide adequate nutrition and you could get some mantids at certain stages to feed on them but feeding them to most mantids and most instars would present challenges that all but ensure failure.

 

[Bdawg]

I think earthworms would provide adequate nutrition and you could get some mantids at certain stages to feed on them but feeding them to most mantids and most instars would present challenges that all but ensure failure.

Hi @Orin, excellent guides. I've only just got my nymphs today but have read your guides, very detailed stuff. What other simple things can we have readily producing food? Preferably things suitable for outside, such as wormfarm would be ideal, for when my mantids are larger. I live in the UK so it's on the colder side. 

 

[Orin]

Hi @Orin, excellent guides. I've only just got my nymphs today but have read your guides, very detailed stuff. What other simple things can we have readily producing food? Preferably things suitable for outside, such as wormfarm would be ideal, for when my mantids are larger. I live in the UK so it's on the colder side. 

Thanks! You might keep house crickets or maybe Blatta orientalis in covered outside bins, but even the temperate earthworms don't continue to produce when it's very cold. 

 

[Bdawg]

Thanks! You might keep house crickets or maybe Blatta orientalis in covered outside bins, but even the temperate earthworms don't continue to produce when it's very cold. 

Thanks. Care to shed some light on the cricket controversy? Heard conflicting statements about feeding mantids crickets, is it true they can't always digest them?

 

[Txmantis]

Thanks! You might keep house crickets or maybe Blatta orientalis in covered outside bins, but even the temperate earthworms don't continue to produce when it's very cold. 

Thank you, that was my original question.

 

[cat_h]

I read somewhere (or was told in conversation.. i forget which) that Deroplatys will prey on earthworms in the wild. Not sure if this is true or not, and haven't tried mine with them. Was thinking about it though. Don't see why mantids wouldn't take earthworms if people feed them mealworms and waxies, purely from a motion-stimulus perspective I mean.