Freedom

[Mieske]

So, I thought my cardboard wall would keep the 2 females apart, but after 2 days of cold and no moths, I guess Max got hungry and found her way on the other side. She ate the green female. So, with a heavy heart and not being able to provide adequate food, I released Max back to her bush out front this morning. I still have the 2 ooths. I'll go and get those fruit flies from the pet store before they hatch.

 

[crabbypatty]

Awww, where do you live? I leave the door open for a few minutes and I'll have at least five flies. I also feed my mantids mealworms and superworms. I do keep all six in separate containers though. 

 

[Mieske]

I live in Oklahoma. During those cold nights, there was only slugs to be found. I didn't think she'd eat those sticky trail leaving sponges

 

[Ranitomeya]

Mantises are pretty capable of squeezing through tight spaces if they feel the need to, so separators tend not to work unless there are no spaces.

When attacked, most slugs produce a thicker, stickier mucus that acts like a glue, so I doubt your mantis would eat one. It'll probably grab it, try to take a bite, and drop it.

Mealworms and crickets can be fed to mantises if you can't find other sources of prey. Just make sure the crickets are kept clean and fed fresh food for a while to clear their digestive systems of putrid, bacterial soup from feeding on the dead while at the store.

 

[crabbypatty]

Yeah the pet store near me carries all sizes of worms, I'm super wary on crickets though and I don't feed them to my mantids. Deli cups are easy to find and make good temporary homes or to keep mantids separate.

 

[hibiscusmile]

They will eat the slugs, ugly dinner , but they do not care.

 

[CosbyArt]

Sorry to hear in the end they still got together, and the inevitable happened.

If you want to keep Max, you can fed her crickets or mealworms from the pet store (a common winter diet). For local prey, you may have some luck finding field crickets under rocks still, but with cold nights that is likely about all the prey your discover.