Hello!

[Emlz]

hello! I'm Emily and this is my first time trying to keep a mantis for a pet. This is my girl Disco.

I'm pretty sure she's a Carolina mantis. I found her on Saturday and I had a spare 6 gallon fish tank so I figured why not. I've successfully gotten her to eat a cricket from the pet store. I know feeding from the pet store can be risky but there aren't many bugs around right now so it was the best option I could come up with on short notice. Right now my plan is to feed her and mist the enclosure every two or three days and see how she does. I'm open to alternate suggestions though and any advice would be appreciated!

 

[crabbypatty]

Awww it's cute! I personally don't feed my mantids crickets, I've heard stories and I'm too paranoid now, I feed them mealworms or superworms. Every person is different though, some have had no problems. 

 

[CosbyArt]

Hello Emily and welcome to the forum

It is indeed a female and a Carolina (Stagmomantis carolina) mantis you have there. Crickets should not be a issue, I've used them the last few years on hundreds of mantises and can only say I might have had one mantis death to blame on a cricket, and likely not even that one. Not sure why all the cricket hate, but I find those tend to be cockroach feeder people that have limited/no cricket experience but read something somewhere about it.

Anyway the only worry on crickets is to feed them a few days before giving them to your girl, to flush their systems of anything nasty they may have ate (or not ate) at the pet store and to ensure they are healthy. There is no need for the expensive cricket feed/water at pet stores either, just cut a potato and place in there and they will get water from that. For food offering them some veggie scraps (just avoid carrots as it is said to make crickets harmful to mantises), dry cat food, chicken egg layer crumbles feed, fish flakes, or anything you have on hand high in protein.

Here are my cricket feeders, just got a new supply of 2000 crickets from Ghann's.

View attachment 8405

 

[Rick]

Welcome

 

[Zeppy44]

Heyas and welcome.  Nice start for your pet in that tank.

 

[hibiscusmile]

WElcome, I would not spray the whole tank, just right in front of her 2 or 3 mist is all that is needed.