Hello from Iowa!

[callisto9]

Hello, all! I've lived in Iowa my whole life and have only ever seen two mantids. Until this year. SO came home several weeks ago and saw a praying mantis on our doormat. He took her and put her in a nearby bush. We came and went a few times that night and decided to take her in. My BF from out east is obsessed with bugs, so I thought this would be a fun thing to keep as a pet and learn about. I've always been intimidated by them.

So, we got Barry Mantilow (a female Carolina mantis) critter keeper and started feeding her life food. She's been doing great! She's laid three ootheca so far. We've had her about a month now. And I'll admit... I've gotten really interested in the things! A few weeks after we got Barry, our mailman pointed out a huge Chinese mantis on our front bay window... so now we have two. Caged separately of course. I have to admit, the larger one scares the out of me, but I finally got up the nerve to let Barry on my hand and we let her free range on the pencil plant.

Today I got one of those Exo Terra terrariums for Barry and whatever mantis I happen to get after her. From all I've read, it seems she'll die some time this winter.

The only question I have is do breeder ship these things in the winter? I don't want to be mantid-less in the middle of this dreary Iowa winter!

 

[Connor]

Welcome! Glad to see you made your way into the hobby like I did! 

Barry is looking pretty! I've got two female Carolinas myself. She shouldn't die this winter at all! Female mantis usually live around 8-10 months after hitting adulthood; so Barry should live well past winter. 

Breeders certainly ship during the winter. We(I will be breeding a lot more here soon) use heat packs and a well insulated box. A lot of times only overnight shipping is used. 

Have fun with your mantises and we'll see you around!

 

[callisto9]

Thank you for the welcome! I am stoked to be here since there aren't too many other people I can talk to about this hobby!

Good to know Barry might make if a few more months. She's been cool to have as a pet while I learn about mantids. I'd never seen her "display" until we put the Chinese mantis next to her (separate cage, of course). Whoa! It was freaky! See attached pic.

Good to know I could get one during the winter, if wanted.

What's the best substrate for the terrarium? Is sand OK?

 

[Connor]

Beautiful threat display! Neither of my ladies have done theirs for me unfortunately. They seem to want to eat everything instead of scare them away haha.

Sand could work but it won't fulfill the purpose of substrate. Substrate is there to hold moisture. Sand obviously won't do that. You could buy a Eco-Earth coco fiber brick, or if your girl was wild caught, just use dirt from outside!

 

[Ocelotbren]

Welcome to the forum, and nice picture of the threat display!  If you do end up getting another this winter, have fun choosing your next species. 

 

[callisto9]

Yeah, she was PEEVED! The male in the other container is more than double her size, so I can see why she felt threatened.

Thanks, Connor, for the substrate advice. Duh - I need moisture! She has some cactus soil in there now.

Not sure what I'd like to try for my next species. I can get carried away with my little hobbies, so I want to choose a mantis that is easy for me to care for so I can make sure it has a good life. Of course I *want* an orchid mantis, but I think it will be difficult to keep during these Iowa winters. It's DRY here. And effing cold!

 

[Connor]

There sure are a lot of species... I've got a little carried away to be honest. 3 months into the hobby and I have a dang zoo lol. Orchids aren't that hard to keep as everyone makes it out to be... that or I have good luck. I keep my Orchid at room temp(around 72-77) and mist her daily. But I actually am going to try and let her free roam on a plant for the time being until her final molt and then I'll put her back after that molt.

 

[callisto9]

I don't mind carried away! It helps us noobs learn. I got into this because my friend is obsessed with bugs, so here we are. I've sent her a few encased in resin (found dead, of course) and made them into magnets. She's always wanted a mantis one, but there's no way I'm putting Barry in resin after she dies!

 

[Rick]

Welcome. 

I prefer plain paper towels for a cage bottom. Easy to replace and they can catch the frass and uneaten food bits. If you want something more aesthetically pleasing look at orchid moss (sphagnum moss). 

 

[Connor]

Like Rick said paper towels work great. That's what I use with all my mantis in small enclosures. But in bigger enclosures I find it hard to keep paper towels down. Hence my advice with soil.

 

[callisto9]

Thanks for the advice, guys. Really appreciate it. Letting Barry free-range in the bedroom. She's so cute. Very docile. 

 

[Connor]

She's beautiful! Looks like she's getting ready to lay!

 

[callisto9]

That's what my friend, thinks, too. She just climbed up my lamp and almost burnt her feet! She's all over the place tonight. What's the best process for over-wintering the oothecas (ooths?)? Fridge? Garage? I have removed them from the top of her cage since I thought she was going to be in that cage all winter. I have three of them so far. 

 

[Connor]

Yeah if you stick em in the fridge and give em a spray of water every week or two you should be good

 

[callisto9]

My hope was to hatch them inside and keep a few but let the rest go in my yard. I glued them to the tops of solo cups, as I read you need to keep them in the same orientation they were when they were laid. 

 

[callisto9]

And what is everyone feeding theirs? I'm getting really tired of the stinky cricket box already! LOL We used to catch her stuff outside, but now it's too cold. 

 

[Connor]

Not sure how well a solo cup is going to do as a means of hatching them. The ooth still needs proper ventilation. 

As far as feeding goes I got fruitfly cultures for the small nymphs, bluebottle fly pupae that I hatch for all my bigger nymphs and adults, and a Dubia colony for a treat or for a supplement boost for females getting ready to lay.

 

[callisto9]

Not sure how well a solo cup is going to do as a means of hatching them. The ooth still needs proper ventilation. 

As far as feeding goes I got fruitfly cultures for the small nymphs, bluebottle fly pupae that I hatch for all my bigger nymphs and adults, and a Dubia colony for a treat or for a supplement boost for females getting ready to lay.

OK, I'll change the setup. I just didn't know what to do with them... I didn't want to leave them on top of her critter keeper as I didn't want 100 mantids in January.

Where do you get the bluebottle fly pupae and dubia colony? I suppose I could just Google that!

 

[Connor]

If you get some deli cups with vented lids(cloth lids) and carefully low heat hot glue the ooth to the top. 

Any mantis website has pupae and a few have cultures. Just got to look around.