Nick Barta
Well-known member
Picture 1: I use basically four containers for mantis, a small vial with a height of 3.5 inches that is 1.5 inches in diameter for the smallest nymphs. The second container is a vial that is 4.25 inches tall by 2 inches in diameter. On both vials the lid is a soft plastic that is easily perforated with a pin, and we put a plastic washable grating in the vial that is wedged so it doesn't move with allows both the food and the mantis to move about. When a mantis outgrows a vial for width, I move it to a 24 oz. insect cup with increases the diameter for 4 inches wide.
If the mantis needs more height than 4.25 inches, I don't use the 32 oz. insect cups because they are only 5.5 inches tall, and I don't want to have to move the mantis again later; so I used the 4 inch by 4 inch by 10 inch tall mantis mansion.
Picture 2: Before I describe the mantis chamber, I would like to say that I think Rick is probably right, most mantids live at our room temperature. Being somewhat anal, I decided to create a plexiglass chamber around a shelving unit that is 23.5 inches wide by 17 inches deep, by 6 foot tall made of wire shelves so the heat can travel from my heat source at the bottom. This gives me warmer shelves for the desert species and incubation of ooths on the lower racks and cooler shelves for most of the mantis up top.
I also keep fruit flies and house flies on the floor which gives them about 78 degrees temperature. The top is a removable piece of plexiglass, the door is hinged and the corners are reinforced with aluminum angle. The cardboard trays come from Costco, and just fit the 21 inch opening. The unit has 6 shelves spaced about 11.75 inches apart with accomodates 2 high on the 24 oz. insect cups, and one high on the hexagon nymph containers as well as the 4 by 4 by 10 inch mantis mansion. The butterfly net at the top is a breeding place with lots of room for the male to escape. If it is being used we put a plant in there so he has places to hide. I use a ceramic bulb for my heat source, as well as a remotely controlled probe that keeps the temperature at 80 degrees on the middle shelf.
It is important to have a temperature gun to be sure you are not over-heating your stock!
The cost of this unit was fairly substantial between the plexiglass, the shelving, and the heat source/control. You can accomplish the same heat retention by creating a cardboard enclosure which I did to begin with; it does hold the heat as well. I changed to plexiglass because my wife thought the cardboard was ugly, and that even insects need light.
If the mantis needs more height than 4.25 inches, I don't use the 32 oz. insect cups because they are only 5.5 inches tall, and I don't want to have to move the mantis again later; so I used the 4 inch by 4 inch by 10 inch tall mantis mansion.
Picture 2: Before I describe the mantis chamber, I would like to say that I think Rick is probably right, most mantids live at our room temperature. Being somewhat anal, I decided to create a plexiglass chamber around a shelving unit that is 23.5 inches wide by 17 inches deep, by 6 foot tall made of wire shelves so the heat can travel from my heat source at the bottom. This gives me warmer shelves for the desert species and incubation of ooths on the lower racks and cooler shelves for most of the mantis up top.
I also keep fruit flies and house flies on the floor which gives them about 78 degrees temperature. The top is a removable piece of plexiglass, the door is hinged and the corners are reinforced with aluminum angle. The cardboard trays come from Costco, and just fit the 21 inch opening. The unit has 6 shelves spaced about 11.75 inches apart with accomodates 2 high on the 24 oz. insect cups, and one high on the hexagon nymph containers as well as the 4 by 4 by 10 inch mantis mansion. The butterfly net at the top is a breeding place with lots of room for the male to escape. If it is being used we put a plant in there so he has places to hide. I use a ceramic bulb for my heat source, as well as a remotely controlled probe that keeps the temperature at 80 degrees on the middle shelf.
It is important to have a temperature gun to be sure you are not over-heating your stock!
The cost of this unit was fairly substantial between the plexiglass, the shelving, and the heat source/control. You can accomplish the same heat retention by creating a cardboard enclosure which I did to begin with; it does hold the heat as well. I changed to plexiglass because my wife thought the cardboard was ugly, and that even insects need light.
