Feeding bees and wasps

[Extrememantid]

Can my Female European mantis eat bees and/or wasps without getting hurt? And what are the chances of her getting hurt by one?

Thanks,

Cole

 

[minomantis]

I know honey bees they can take down no prob. wasps are a little more agile but can be taken down. Carpenter bees are a bit risky. They're a lot bigger and might give problem. Eventhough they would be more food since they're bigger, I would stay away from them. In general, they all can be eaten but the risks get higher. I would stick to honey bees if you want to catch bees. Usually if my mantis is eating left and right she's in the swing of catching and eating so I'll throw in a wasp but I would still stick to honey bees. I know from personal experience that if you catch a wasp and put it in and the mantis strikes and misses over and over, the wasp will only get aggitated flying more violently and then you risk problems. Also, a carpenter bee bit my mantids forleg yesterday and she couldn't get it off and I had to step in. So you risk with wasps and carpenter bees but honey bees are good. Once caught the wasp or bee stands little chance of harming your mantis. The mantids exoskeleton is so tough that the stingers don't penetrate. Key rule it's better to be safe then sorry. I would only feed these insects if your mantis is a sub-adult or adult. Nothing younger. I think I over answered your question, lol but yea. Good luck!

 

[sueb4653]

I would be scared of getting stung myself in the whole catching process :blush:

 

[Paradoxica]

I once tried to feed a wild caught European adult a wasp and she grabbed it several times but each time she would let it go. After 20 minutes of this the mantis started shying away from the wasp and I had to remove it. That made me think a wasp was a bit too tough

 

[sueb4653]

we have lots of wasps in our garden I think they have a nest under our deck but hubby says they dont bother use so we dont bother them

 

[gs304]

I often feed my budwing adult female with wasps. She grabs them very precisely and eats without any problem. So far she has eaten about 20-30 and there was no accident, so I suppose it's not as dangerous as it seems.

 

[Extrememantid]

Thanks guys!

 

[Crazy4mantis]

larger flower mantis species can catch bees easily. I heard orchids have a diet of mostly bees and wasps in the wild.

 

[aNisip]

That's the main diet for my Idolo, 'cept I use africanized honey bees so I get rid of an invasive species whilst making room for a native one, honey bees in general are declining

 

[Ntsees]

Every time I use a bee or wasp to feed my mantids, I always remove the stinger.

 

[Extrememantid]

Every time I use a bee or wasp to feed my mantids, I always remove the stinger.

But doesn't that kill the bee?

 

[aNisip]

In the wildno one is going to remove the stinger from th bee or wasp, and yes it kills the bee: but it slowly kills the bee slowly...

 

[gs304]

Generally it is pointless to remove the stinger. Surface of mantid's exoskeleton on it's arms is very thick and hard and in most cases wasp is eaten starting from its back. There is a very little chance that mantid would suffer from that kind of prey.

 

[Ntsees]

But doesn't that kill the bee?

Yes, it does but eventually. A bee does not sting and instantly die. It'll still move around afterwards.

 

[Ntsees]

Generally it is pointless to remove the stinger. Surface of mantid's exoskeleton on it's arms is very thick and hard and in most cases wasp is eaten starting from its back. There is a very little chance that mantid would suffer from that kind of prey.

Maybe most of the time, the mantid won't get stung, but I've had a few cases where the bee/wasp did sting the mantid. When that happened, the mantid will probably not touch another bee/wasp again and I don't want that to happen.

 

[Danny.]

I've tried bees with no problems, but won't try wasps.

 

[Rick]

DO NOT use honeybees. I'm going to start suspending people that suggest it.

Wasps are a poor choice overall.

 

[minomantis]

DO NOT use honeybees. I'm going to start suspending people that suggest it.

Wasps are a poor choice overall.

why not honey bees??

 

[aNisip]

WHY NOT USE HONEYBEES?!?! DO YOU WANT THE WORLD TO END? Honeybees are in decline all over the world. Basically, if the honeybee goes, (them being the number one pollinator of produce trees and vegetables) then no more fruits or veggies and we will all starve...stop feeding honeybees!

This is why I use bees from an africanized colony of bees...

” If honey bees become extinct, human society will follow in four years.” -Albert Einstein...

http://blog.targethealth.com/?p=58 read the first couple paragraphs...