Found a Chinese mantis about a month ago

[berfles]

I live in PA and found a Chinese mantis about a month ago, right around the time it was starting to get pretty cold at night. I decided to keep it for awhile, thinking that it was too cold for them at night after reading what sort of temperatures they like. I'm not sure where they go at night or how they stay warm enough, so maybe I was thinking wrong about it all this time.

Anyway, I've been feeding it and giving it water and whatnot, and I went down today to find that it seems to have laid some eggs in the cage. I'm right in the middle of Hurricane Sandy right now, but do you think I shoudl let her go when it clears up, even if it's in the low 40s at night? Or is it too late now and I should just keep her? What should I do with the eggs?

 

[Mime454]

She'll probably be happier warm and in your house. Cold weather isn't nice to mantises. 40 degree weather is a long and protracted death sentence for a mantis.

 

[berfles]

Good, then I was right to keep her this long I guess. I actually found her on my car when I drove to pick up dinner one night, I don't know how long she was on there but I stuck her in a box and brought her home.

I mean at the time the days were fairly warm, but the nights were chilly and downright cold at times. Do they "hunker down" at night when it's cold at night or does it always result in death?

Are the nymphs going to get confused being in a warm house all the time and end up hatching earlier?

 

[Mime454]

Good, then I was right to keep her this long I guess. I actually found her on my car when I drove to pick up dinner one night, I don't know how long she was on there but I stuck her in a box and brought her home.

I mean at the time the days were fairly warm, but the nights were chilly and downright cold at times. Do they "hunker down" at night when it's cold at night or does it always result in death?

Are the nymphs going to get confused being in a warm house all the time and end up hatching earlier?

I think that they will hatch earlier. Since it is a Chinese mantis, you should put the ooths in your refrigerator Isfahan you want them to hatch at the same time as the others. Take them out about February or so.

 

[MantidLord]

I wouldn't release her, she's most likely nearing the end of her lifespan anyway. Might as well keep her until she goes. But at least you got an ooth!

 

[berfles]

I think that they will hatch earlier. Since it is a Chinese mantis, you should put the ooths in your refrigerator Isfahan you want them to hatch at the same time as the others. Take them out about February or so.

I have a fridge in the basement, maybe I'll give that a shot. I'm worried because I think she layed it right on the opening on the cage I have her in, so if I try to open it I think it's going to do some harm. I didn't look at closely though, so maybe I can make it work.

I wouldn't release her, she's most likely nearing the end of her lifespan anyway. Might as well keep her until she goes. But at least you got an ooth!

That's kind of what I was thinking when I found her, hopefully I can get these guys to hatch properly.

Thanks for the info guys.

 

[berfles]

Thought I'd bump this up for a bit of an update. She ended up laying part of another ooth a month later along with the first (didn't know they could do that). It's been getting increasingly hard to get her to eat, and lately she just stopped altogether. I've been trying every other night or so, she just wouldn't eat. Just checked on her now and it looks like she's barely hanging on. A couple nights ago as she was refusing to eat she had some bursts of energy that made me think she was still ok, but it doesn't look good now. I guess she's had a good run, I didn't expect her to last this long.

Still worried about the eggs too, how late is too late to stick them in the fridge? Maybe they're not even fertilized, I don't know.

 

[D_Hemptress]

its worth finding out. my girl was wild caught and she layed four ooth before she died. i now have a bunch of nymphs running around. also you can put it in the fridge whenever you would like. the fridge just slows down the growth rate so you can control when it is going to hatch

 

[berfles]

I'm guessing it's normal for them to stop eating when they're at the end? She hasn't moved since I checked her earlier, I misted some water in there and she was moving a little bit as the water hit her. I don't like thinking she's just in there slowly fading away, I wish it would just happen if it's going to. I can't take her out either since she laid her eggs right where the door swings open.

 

[hierodula]

for the ooths, leaving them outside in a container is the best thing to do. just check every few days when it nears spring.

 

[berfles]

How much quicker are they going to hatch if they've been in the warm house all this time?

I don't know how, but she's still hanging on. She moved across the cage and is leaning against the side, there's really nothing I can do for her at this point right? I'm sure she still won't eat anything.

 

[ScienceGirl]

I read somewhere on here to put the ootheca in a paper sack under cover outside. That way it is protected from the rain, but can still get the natural temperature and humidity that it needs.

Good luck with the ooth! Do you know if it is fertilized?

 

[berfles]

I have no clue if they're fertilized, guess I just have to wait and see. Problem is I can't do anything with the ooths because she stuck them right in the door opening, so if I open the cage I'll tear them apart.

Last night I misted the heck out of the cage sides so she could drink (wouldn't stop until I got some nice sized droplets right by her head, which she ended up drinking) and did it a few times. Tonight she seemed a little more active so I went out and bought some honey to try to feed her since she won't eat anything else. That seems to have really livened her up, so we'll see what happens now.