Hi there!

[lovemymantisfriends]

I am new to the hobby.  I have always loved mantids.  I had one in my classroom that a student found outside.  She lived for about a month.  I am not certain what happened, but she stopped eating and her pretty green eyes turned black.  

Anyway, I have always wanted to order mantid ooth.   I am not sure what caught my attention, but I wound up ordering 3 ooths (received 5).  I am still waiting on the them to hatch.  I got impatient and wound up ordering a giant african and giant asian mantis (they have not even been shipped yet-Ordered them a week ago) and I got impatient again, and wound up ordering 2 ghosts from another site (they have already shipped).  I have watched just about every youtube video there is on care and different species.  I tried to stick with the easier mantids.  Any advice is welcome!

 

[Mantis Lady]

welcome what species are your ooths?

I did a lot of reading/watching vids too before I bought my first mantis.

I advise prepare their home/containers and get some food for them when they arrive. (reminds me thatIi still need to prepare a mantis home for new arrivals this week)

if you have questions you can always ask. There are nice ppl here who would like to answer them.

 

[Synapze]

Hello! 

That second paragraph is the story of my life. ? 

Be patient with the ooths. My first ooth took so long to hatch that I almost gave up. 

 

[lovemymantisfriends]

My ooth are Chinese Mantids.  I currently have them in deli cups.  I also have the 5 oz cups prepared so that I can keep a few of the Chinese mantids.  The rest will be released (I already checked the Illinois DNR website and Chinese Mantids are fine to release).   I have a paper towel on the bottom and mist it when it is dry (the paper towel, not the ooth).  I do have more deli cups, coco fiber substrate on the way, popsicle sticks, and fake flowers for them.  

I ordered Hydei flies with my first order (the one that has yet to ship), so I am going to have to go out and buy some fruit flies from a pet store to hold me over.  Wish I would have found this forum and looked up sellers before placing my orders.  The reviews on here seem to be very accurate.  My experiences are similar.  

I am so excited for these guys/gals!  I cannot wait another minute!  

 

[MantisGirl13]

Welcome! Remember, most of the nymphs in a chinese ooth don't survive, so keep lots. It looks like you will have a ton of fun with the species you chose. Good luck! 

- MantisGirl13

 

[lovemymantisfriends]

I was planning on keeping 10 and seeing how it goes.  Would you recommend more?  Also,  I have 2 (hopefully female) ghost mantids on the way.  How big of a tank/container is needed for 2 since they are communal?

 

[MantisGirl13]

I was planning on keeping 10 and seeing how it goes.  Would you recommend more?  Also,  I have 2 (hopefully female) ghost mantids on the way.  How big of a tank/container is needed for 2 since they are communal?

@lovemymantisfriends I would recommend more. maybe like 20? What instar are your ghosts?

- MantisGirl13

 

[lovemymantisfriends]

The Ghosts should be L2s

 

[MantisGirl13]

For now you should keep them in at least a 5"x5" container, and feed them separately in smaller containers. 

- MantisGirl13

 

[Ocelotbren]

Welcome, and good luck (both with the mantids and with your patience in awaiting their arrival ).

 

[Synapze]

I was planning on keeping 10 and seeing how it goes.  Would you recommend more?  Also,  I have 2 (hopefully female) ghost mantids on the way.  How big of a tank/container is needed for 2 since they are communal?

@lovemymantisfriends I strongly agree with @MantisGirl13. Example: I kept 25 Carolina nymphs and only about 10 survived. I did release some nymphs in my sunroom and hope to recover a few in hopes of keeping some females. 

 

[lovemymantisfriends]

@lovemymantisfriends I strongly agree with @MantisGirl13. Example: I kept 25 Carolina nymphs and only about 10 survived. I did release some nymphs in my sunroom and hope to recover a few in hopes of keeping some females. 

 I will get some more lil cups and see how it goes...if any of them hatch!  How long does it typically take for a breeder to ship?  It has been over a week and I haven't heard a thing.  Is that normal?

 

[Synapze]

How long does it typically take for a breeder to ship?  It has been over a week and I haven't heard a thing.  Is that normal?

It varies depending on the level of customer service the breeder provides. I've had a few ordering issues in the beginning, but now have narrowed my breeders/dealers to 3. I'd list them but I don't know if it's appropriate in this forum. Definitely check out the dealer feedback forum. It can save you a lot of frustration... and possibly money.

If it's been a week, recheck the breeder's shipping policies to make sure you didn't overlook any disclaimers. If you understand the shipping policies, I'd send an email for a status check. If the dealer doesn't respond within a week, which I believe is overly generous, I'd follow up. If still no response... cancel the order. 

That being said, many things can happen that are beyond the dealer's control, but if they can't handle sending a one sentence "Sorry for the delay" email to you, they're in the wrong business. 

Hope this helps!

S

PS: If you have more questions, you may get more responses and better tips if you ask them in the General Discussion forum.

 

[MantisGirl13]

It varies depending on the level of customer service the breeder provides. I've had a few ordering issues in the beginning, but now have narrowed my breeders/dealers to 3. I'd list them but I don't know if it's appropriate in this forum. Definitely check out the dealer feedback forum. It can save you a lot of frustration... and possibly money.

If it's been a week, recheck the breeder's shipping policies to make sure you didn't overlook any disclaimers. If you understand the shipping policies, I'd send an email for a status check. If the dealer doesn't respond within a week, which I believe is overly generous, I'd follow up. If still no response... cancel the order. 

That being said, many things can happen that are beyond the dealer's control, but if they can't handle sending a one sentence "Sorry for the delay" email to you, they're in the wrong business. 

Hope this helps!

S

PS: If you have more questions, you may get more responses and better tips if you ask them in the General Discussion forum.

@lovemymantisfriends I hope you receive that order, and I hope those ooths hatch! I agree with Synapze in that you should try to contact the breeder in several different ways, and check on your order. if you are messaging through email, check your junk folder. Good luck!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Rick]

Welcome