How can I feed Mantises when I'm away from home???

[twolfe]

Did you put a culture in the enclosure or just the flies? How long were you gone?

I create smaller cultures for when I'm going out of town. Instead of leaving the lid off, I cut a small hole in the cloth lid so that the flies can come and go. I create them in advance so that I have larvae, pupae and flies in the cultures so that more flies will hatch while I'm away.

 

[Mantiskid]

Did you put a culture in the enclosure or just the flies? How long were you gone?

We were gone for about 3-4 days.And no, I didn't put a culture in the containers.I don't think I could fit one in the enclosures, either, because I'm keeping the Mantids in deli cups.

P.S. What is the "recipe" for the stuff that you put in the Fruit Fly cultures?

 

[twolfe]

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7715&st=0

Here's a link to a discussion on ingredients. I use both commercial mixes and make my own.

The full established cultures I add are to the net enclosures. However, I do add little sample cups with some food for the fruit flies in them for shorter trips. I make a small hole in the lid for the flies to go in and out. It works well unless they are under a heat lamp. Then they often dry out too fast.