Hello from California Bay Area

[stobbe]

Hello and good afternoon. Myself and two youngsters (8 and 11) are new to this hobby. Not looking to do anything super fancy at this point, we just think mantids are cool!

Unfortunately, we are off to a rough start, we ordered a kit and mantis online. The mantis (sub adult) seemed to make the trip fine, was active, ate, but sadly passed away after the second day... We were misting, temps were fine, so who knows...

Before I order another and risk a similarly discouraging experience, I'm wondering if there there any hobbyists here in the Bay Area that might be able to help us get started. Ideally, with another mantis (or advice on where to get one), practical advice, etc. I'm actually surprised there isn't a store here where a person can go buy one... There seems to be a store for just about everything else around here!

I know there is a for sale/wanted section, but I figure since I needed to post here first anyway, I would just make the introduction more complete..

Thanks in advance, have a great day!

Tony

 

[Mvalenz]

Welcome to the forum. Before you decide to purchase another mantis you might want to check the breeder feedback section as well. This is forum has a wealth of information. Have fun and good luck.

 

[sueb4653]

Welcome

 

[hibiscusmile]

You should be able to get another mantis from the breeder, it should of lasted a day or two! welcome!

 

[womantis]

hi there - i am here in the bay area and relatively new to the hobby. my daughter age 9 is really into it. we ordered 4 ooths from a gardening site online, www.planetnatural.com, and all 4 hatched out 100s of nymphs, we only lost maybe 10 - super low mortatlity rate. we released them into the garden and kept two which are now adult and subadult. might be too late to order an ooth, but here's the site i used - i was so surprised at how proflific each ooth was in terms of hatching out so many (healthy) nymphs.

susan

 

[patrickfraser]

Welcome and good luck in the future.

 

[stacy]

hi and welcome. im originally from the bay, sure miss some of it, gl on your search

 

[MantidLord]

Hi, I'm from the bay (Vallejo), and I'm here now for the summer. You should be able to find a lot of European mantids out now, just search a plot with tall weeds, they're everywhere. That way you can get started without having to buy mantids online. European mantids have black and white (or sometimes just black) eyespots in between their arms. You might get lucky and stumble across one by accident, depending on what part of the bay you're in. Put them in a container with ventilation, mist occasionally and give it some food.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Welcome, I dont see the site u mentioned, is it there or is my one good eye going bad? :helpsmilie:

 

[womantis]

its there www.planetnatural.com - first time ordering and it was nothing but tons of healthy nymphs from all 4 oothecae that i ordered...i think they are out of stock until next spring..

 

[hibiscusmile]

oh Good, fraid I was going blind!

 

[Rick]

Welcome