Honey Treatment

[Ellithain]

One of my Heirodula girls Leia has been leaving brown streaks all down her cage the last two days. I think she is throwing up. No idea what caused it as she is eating the same blue bottle flies as everyone else. Perhaps bacteria. Anyways, today I created a very light honey and water mixture, saturated a qtip with it and let her drink and this was the result! Its interesting to watch even if I'm worried for her  Hopefully she pulls out of whatever it is. Anyone have any other tips for this?

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[MantisGirl13]

Hmm, is she looking healthy otherwise @Ellithain? What instar is she? I would suggest more honey than water in a honey-water mixture.

- MantisGirl13

 

[Ellithain]

She is L4. Her sister that was from the same ootheca molted to L5 on the 12th and is easily triple Leia's size. I wonder if there is something wrong with her. As for the honey tip  I will do that next time then! I had heard too much honey could cause her to crash so I was really cautious. 

 

[MantisGirl13]

@Ellithain I have never heard that honey will make a mantis crash, but I know that nymphs don't like concentrated honey because it sticks to their mandibles, and that is why we water it down for nymphs. Leia may molt soon, but that should be no reason for throwing up like this.

- MantisGirl13

 

[Ellithain]

Yeah, the only other thing I could think of is the stress from all the cleaning I had to do weeks ago to get rid of the grain mites I had. I had cleaned each mantis cup with hot water 4 or 5 days in a row which meant handling them more than I would under usual circumstances. If that was the case, I would have thought that it would show itself then and not several weeks later.. 

 

[MantisGirl13]

No, it probably has nothing to do with that. Keep offering honey and small prey items, and keep me updated!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Mantis Lady]

Using a cotton swap to let a mantis drink. That is a better idea then a tootpic/straw. She drinks good from it?

Ttry an other feeder than than a blubottle fly? I had a mantis was was vomiting too, He got crickets like the others. I gave honey/water and it stopped. I gave a cricket again and the litle guy vomited again. Gave him honey/water again and vomiting stopped. I changed feeder for him (part grasshopper that the adults got) and vomiting was over. I never gave him a cricket again.

 

[Ellithain]

Using a cotton swap to let a mantis drink. That is a better idea then a tootpic/straw. She drinks good from it?

Ttry an other feeder than than a blubottle fly? I had a mantis was was vomiting too, He got crickets like the others. I gave honey/water and it stopped. I gave a cricket again and the litle guy vomited again. Gave him honey/water again and vomiting stopped. I changed feeder for him (part grasshopper that the adults got) and vomiting was over. I never gave him a cricket again.

I had heard that crickets can cause this during my research online about it but I’ve never fed any of my mantises crickets. I’ll move her back to the smaller Fruit flies I have thank goodness she still bothers with them unlike her sibling. 

 

[Ellithain]

Oh and sorry to double post but yeah I was happy to see how well she drank from the q-tip. I have watched many (probably too many) antscanada YouTube videos and I know they use cotton balls for ants to drink so I thought I’d give it shot! Worked well! I was a tiny bit worried she’d try to eat the q-tip but nope! Thank god lol

 

[Mantis Lady]

if she still eat those give her that. and see if she still vomits.

Yeah, that is why i bought baby grasshoppers because crickets can give problems. my nymphs started to ignore ff after their last molt and my pet store don't sell fly pupea.

 

[Ellithain]

if she still eat those give her that. and see if she still vomits.

Yeah, that is why i bought baby grasshoppers because crickets can give problems. my nymphs started to ignore ff after their last molt and my pet store don't sell fly pupea.

Hey whatever works for you! I have had good luck with josh’s frogs fly spikes just take a few out of the fridge a few days early and let them emerge from the spikes as flies. All of my mantids very clearly prefer them over the small dubias or cut up mealworms I’ve offered before. Especially my dead leaf nymphs which I’ve had trouble enticing to eat in the past. Just perhaps not working with Leia.. I’m not sure. As a new mantis keeper, I’ve found this inbetween size before they can take on adult dubias but don’t like FFs to be a little more challenging and a kind of trial and error. 

 

[Ellithain]

No throw up today! Yay! I fed her two small fruit flies (not trying to over stuff her) and we’ll see tomorrow if it stays the same.  

 

[MantisGirl13]

Yay!!!!!!!!!I am glad she is getting better, and I will pray that she stays healthy!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Prayingmantisqueen]

I pray there is continued improvement health wise!! 

 

[Mantis Lady]

I will pray for your mantis too. Hopefully she won't throw up and getting better.

 

[Ellithain]

There is still no throwing up of her food today and she’s been not moving from the underside of her leaf so I’m thinking molt today or tomorrow!  

 

[Prayingmantisqueen]

Thats great! Keep us updates please.

 

[Mantis Lady]

Yup we want to know if your mantis healthy.

 

[MantisGirl13]

Yes, please update! How is she now?

- MantisGirl13