Feeder advice wanted

[Pizzaparlor45]

I am going to be getting new mantids as pets soon and I am looking for general feeder advice to plan the feeding aspect of their care ahead of time. It is said practically everywhere that flies and roaches are usually the best options. However, Ill be honest I am not invested enough in the hobby to willingly live with flies and roaches in my home, and I am sure my roommates wouldn't appreciate it either. Also, I am aware of the worries that come with a mainly cricket diet, namely lack of nutrients and the potential for disease. Grasshoppers seem like a decent option, but I am unfortunately limited to what I can find in pet stores and generally for cheap. I figure that hand feeding meal-worms might be a good alternative. Is this an accurate idea? Would a different variety of worm be better? Could I possibly use protein-coating on crickets to fix the nutrient issue? Any advice will be appreciated. The plan currently is to get ghosts, Giant shields and hierodula membranacea.

 

[MantisGirl13]

There is no nutrient problem with crickets, rather the risk of infection being transferred frokm the cricket to the mantids. If you kept your crickets in a clean area with clean, fresh food, and remove any dead bodies before they are eaten, you could get away with crickets, but they are still not ideal, and very hard to keep clean.  Handceeding mealworms could work,  but again, it is a lot of work, and you'd still need fruit flies for young nymphs either way.  

Its obviously up to you what option you choose, but fly pupae are your best bet for something low-maintenance. Literally just pop a few pupae in the cage, and they will hatch and feed the mantids. Roaches are cheaper than any of the aforementioned options, and very easy to keep. 

- MantisGirl13 

 

[hysteresis]

Quarter pin crix flush out fast bc they're so small. My i4/i5 ghosts thrived eating those.

Being small, they're attractive to young nymphs. 

Be clinical, and open your mind. Flies aren't as bad as crickets. Crickets stink.

Clean maggots, clean pupae, clean flies. Always contained.

And dubia are easy and clean.

It's all 100pct stigma. 

 

[Budwing]

If you are feeding crickets id suggest tweaser feeding as they can potentially eat your mantis. Some mantis wont touch crickets ever. Then theres others that go off them. I dont know if its the taste of them or if its because they got a bite from one while feeding. Iv got mantis that have eaten them regularly start to go into defence mode once you put a cricket near them.  Some roaches are simple to keep and breed. Crickets will stink and cannabalize each other. Pallid roaches are great feeders for ghost mantis but you need a vasiline barrier as they can climb any surface. The giant asians will easily take dubias.