So I am a brand new member (i just posted my introductory post) but i have been browsing this forum for a while. I am just getting ready to buy my first mantids (ghosts) and couldn't be more excited about it. So far from my research I have noticed that humidity is a re-occuring issue when it comes to owning and breeding mantids. From what I have read it seems that color expression is pretty closely related to humidity. I have been looking at some forum posts about automatic misting systems and they all seem to come to the post that says, "be careful because misters can knock your mantids from the top of your enclosure". I have been wondering though if anyone has gone down the fogging approach to humidity control and what the potential setbacks could be. I know that for dart frog enclosures fogging is typically for aesthetics only since it does not do much in the way of watering plants. It should however bring up the humidity level. If I were to modify your typical humidifier to "fog" my mantid enclosure would there be any negative consequences?
Fogging for humidity
- Thread starter apawlows
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Boosh96
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I personally can't think of any negative consequences, but honestly a fogger kinda seems unnecessary to me. What you can do is just mist the enclosure, like, every day or two. It'll save you money and do just as much good for your mantis. How big is the enclosure, and are you shooting for a natural vivarium or more of a simplistic approach? What I'd suggest from my limited experience as well as what I've heard, is to make/buy an enclosure where the prey can easily get to the mantis, if that makes any sense. Ghosts are much more of a sit-and-wait predator instead of the kind that actively chases prey. Okay, maybe I'm kinda rambling so I might want to stop now. By the way, ghosts are friggin' AWESOME. 
Paradoxica
Well-known member
Seems like overkill to me, at least for ghosts.
MandellaMandy123
Well-known member
Yeah, we have really low humidity here and I never use anything like that. My ghosties are fine. For a higher-humidity species like idolos, that might be good, but your ghosts should be fine with an occasional misting.
Well thanks everyone for your responses. One of the only reasons I was thinking about doing it for the ghosts was because I would really like to see them be green which I have read usually comes with higher humididty (I believe around 70%). The set up I am planning on having will be an upright 10 gallon tank that I am going to divide to be able to keep the males and females separately. I liked the idea of being able to maintain a more constant humidity in the tank than I could with daily misting. Thanks again everyone. If you have any other tips or hints on keeping ghosts please let me know!
MandellaMandy123
Well-known member
Actually, I have 4 L6 ghosts right now as well as some younger ones, and one of the L6's is green. The humidity in our house is only about 15-25%. I think that humidity may make a difference, but in my experience it hasn't. Also, only the females come in green.
