General questions from a newbie

[nasty bugger]

I posted this in the housing forum by mistake, when I thought I'd switched to this one, but here goes, again... ready set

I have a couple questions, but first a description of my situation

I live alone in my 2 bedroom apartment but keep the mantis' and fruit flies in the living room and dining room, where it's heated.

I heat my apt soley by grow lights that I grow a vegitable and herb garden to, so that's the heated area of the house.

I just hatched an ootheca about a week and a half ago, and they've already molted. This is my second one hatched, but the first one that the mantis' lived.

I bought oothecas at a whole foods store and didn't know they needed any help to survive and just lodged a ootheca in the crotch of a tomato plant, and the babies just hung under the ootheca and dried up, so I got online and now I've misted them and keep them in jars, a gallon sun tea jar, and half gallon pickle jar, and several quart mason jars with a piece of t shirt rubber banded over the mouths of the jars.

I noticed they seem to like walking on top of the hair on my arm, so I put some chive seed in the bottom of one of the larger jars and it's coming up and they seem to like walking on it. BTW the chives grow way better in the jar than they do in the open air, wayyyy better. Maybe it's the calci sand, or just the moisture/humidity. I do have some garden soil in the jar also, to retain moisture. It's pretty dry in AZ.

I was planning to put them in a larger aquarium, in the smaller jars, and run a 2 dollar yard sale humidifier on a timer, to keep things humid, but the humidifier is almost too large.

I would like to get a little piezo thing to drop in a 'pond' and mist the aquarium, but am concerned my mantis' will drown, and the fruit flies also may drown, not to mention I just started putting pinhead crickets in yesterday. Not sure if they've hit the crickets yet,as they can hide well and I can't see if they're still alive or not. I guess I could 'bury' the piezo device with pebbles and it will work and keep the water from getting too deep, but then I'd have to watch the water level closer as it will evaporate 'faster' due to less volume of the water. Maybe just put a screen over the tiny pool, but it seems the mist would condense on that, thus defeating the moist air thing.

Currently I just take off the t shirt screen and give 1-3 mists into the jars with a common sprayer from walmart.

I have most in the large jars, and another ootheca just hatched a couple days ago, so I have some little ones in with a couple of second instars.

I just noticed yesterday that the first batch molted and today I noticed them attacking the just hatched batch. I'd never seen that before, so I gotta move those guys out to save them, or let natural selection take place...

I hadn't noted any dead one's yesterday, but today there are several in the bottom of the jar, and dude is lurking and pouncing on them. Actually he hunts them also, I just noticed. I could produce a snuff flick, for insects Maybe he's a japanese 'ninja' mantis

I don't know the variety I have, just that they came from whole foods store and are a 'orcon' product I think.

I am ordering the book, along with an third instar bud wing, or whatever peter sends, but not till after christmas when the shipping times speed back up, and I will be here to take it inside immediately, and not out visiting for the holidays, but in the meantime-

I'm wondering how long between instars?

When do they become all out aggresive and territorial?

What is your favorite way to raise fruit flies, or more like what should I not do?

What about pinhead crickets?

I'm wondering if they'd be affected by mites, or green lacewings?

I have read up on stuff I've seen online, but want to know about mantis specific info from actual experienced people that are in all stages of learning. Some things about poly cultures I haven't found online yet. Any links you may have would be great to have.

I'm not sure about mantis', or other insects, but I do know from raising fish that when objects are put in the tank that the dominant fist will get possessive and attack other fish that come around his 'turf'. Are mantis' the same way?

I have branches off the tree outside, and bark in one jar, and an aquarium plant in one jar also, and that's the jar that I see the aggressive 2nd instar guy in.

I also have some sand for reptiles that is supposed to be calcium carbonate 'bone aid', hoping it will help, but I don't think mantis' care, but just in case.

I originally bought the mantis otheca's thinking they'd be voracious hunters when they came out of the ootheca, and eat the spidermites on my garden, but no such luck. At least my lady bugs are doing a little bit of control.

Next step is to get some predatory mites, or lace wings, and I'm wondering how that will affect the mantis' I've released in the garden... ?

Thanks for the interesting place to browse

I will do some research on this forum, but I just got on and saw the 2nd instar attacking my new guys while I was reading so I'm kinda trying to find out some info now.

Amazing how much larger the dudes looked after that first molt.

I just got a pound of red wriggler worms last night also, to get my green poly culture going on finally quit dreaming about it and will learn by experience now.

Now to make the bug lovers cringe I used to just smack a tickle thinking it was a bug on me, but since I've got these guys I am cautious to look to see if it's one of them before I swat.

 

[kamakiri]

I'm wondering how long between instars?

Assuming they are Chinese T. sinensis, which are a popular commercial breed...I think the typical interval for molting is about two weeks when well fed. You can get them to adulthood in about 2 1/2 - 3 months or so.

When do they become all out aggresive and territorial?

I don't know if terretorial is the word I'd use, but I always think they're pretty agressive to start. While they may not eat each other if well fed and not overcrowded for the first few instars, you would probably see them 'sparring' even as L1s.

What is your favorite way to raise fruit flies, or more like what should I not do?

My favorite way is to buy new cultures when I need them.

What about pinhead crickets?

I use those too. Great food for L1 & L2.

I'm wondering if they'd be affected by mites, or green lacewings?

Mites probably wouldn't bother them, but are too small for mantises to eat. The lacewings would probably be good food for L3-4.

Welcome and hope that helps!

 

[nasty bugger]

Thanks for the reply.

I don't consider the sparring as aggression so much as natural training.

I've seen alot of that as I lived in the country and we'd let wild cats live under our house and I'd watch the mother teach them to stalk and other things.

Funny to watch nature's way of teaching survival.

The first batch doesn't seem to be killing each other, just a couple rogues taking out alot of the new batch. Maybe they've just gotten grouchy in their old age...

I'm going to try some of the recipe's for fruit fly culture from the sticky on here, and one for banana's that I got from the internet. I have earthworms that will eat the trash from the cultures, so it'll be a self sustaining thing once I get the first food part going.

I picked up a hundred of the 32 oz deli cups and some coffee filters from sam's club to start them off with.

My biggest unfinished part of the plan is what to glue the coffee filter to the container lid with for a good seal, but that'll come along.

Hope it all works out

Merry Christmas, or winter solstice, if that's your thing