How do you prompt your mantis to crawl onto your hand?

[Aquaticcreature]

I was just wondering how you entice your mantis to walk on your hand? I have been using a paint brush to give them a gentle nudge and get them moving. Is there a better way?

 

[steeve]

I typically just put my hand in front of their face and/or gently push it against their front feet (it's pretty cute when they snap their heads down and wiggle their antenna at my hand like "Huh?!!"). I only nudge my more tame mantises to prompt them to walk, the other guys tend to freak out when someone touches their abdomen. Another good tactic is shining a bright flashlight/phone light in front of them, they tend to want to walk to the light to get to it. Or just lift what they're sitting on towards your hand and they'll want to get onto the higher surface.

 

[Ocelotbren]

Yeah, I am not great at getting them to walk onto me if they aren't already interested. It's especially hard to get them out of a tall and skinny enclosure with the opening on the top, like a deli cup.  But I use something skinny to reach in with (usually a spoon) and get their feet on it from the side if possible.  Or offer the spoon or your hand as a higher climbing option from where they are since they like to go up.  Sometimes I blow on them to get them to "wake up" too.  Or, if they're on the lid, I'll just take the lid off and put it on the table so they're sitting right side up and then offer my hand as a higher vantage point to climb to from there.

 

[snuhan]

I would blow lightly and nudge mine's butt a lil, but she seems to be at a point where she doesn't even need prompting? Sometimes it even seems like she's asking to crawl up!! If it's a smaller mantis, maybe try feeding them on your hand a few times. They'll warm up to it in time. 

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Usually I merely stick my hand in front of them at a higher angle. If they need a little coaxing I will then gently blow or touch one of their back legs/rump with my other hand.

For those trying to reach into small spaces of an enclosure or are nervous when it comes to handling, some chopsticks/bamboo skewers can make great tools. Just slide them under and gently lift up until the mantis steps up.

 

[OmniXVII]

Gently put two of your fingers underneath the mantid's front legs. You can scoop them up by gently reaching underneath their abdomen and lifting upwards. If they need some coaxing, gently nudge the back of its abdomen. Make sure to get your mantid's attention first before picking them up. Sometimes you can startle them if you moved stealthily towards their body. My mantis has gotten to the point where I can stroke his front claws without him reacting, and he'll realize my presence once I start to lift him up. I can even gently stroke his abdomen and pet him without him freaking out!  ^_^

 

[Carnival Glass]

My mantis has trouble hanging onto my hand so I lay it flat out in front of her and she'll look down and examine it awhile before advancing. Sometimes I place my hands on top of each other to convince her to move to the higher surface. 

 

[bobericc]

Mantis tend to like a waving full palm motion within reach with a slight movement of the fingers in the wave and is a great way to initiate a reaching motion from them.

 

[GingerC]

I used to poke my mantis to get it to go forward onto my hand, but over time learned to just slide my hand under him and he'd step onto it. If people were watching me, I'd say "step up" and it would look like he was trained, lol. Also, he would try to climb anything larger than him and moving, including my phone whenever I'd try to snap a picture, my hand, and people across the room.

The tricky part is getting them to go back in their enclosures! I always used a stick or similar long, narrow object but even then it was a ten minute struggle because my mantis would just never sit still.

 

[plainone]

Well, it depends on where my mantis is.  If they're on top of the lid of the critter cage, usually when I flip it over, their usually eager to crawl right over to my hand.  Sometimes they're not so eager, so I put a stick in front of them and they usually walk right on it.  I have a free range mantis and if she is on the ceiling above the window where she usually hangs, I use my cell phone and she crawls right onto it and I bring her down.  Some have mentioned that the tricky part is getting them back into their homes and I agree.  They always seem to want to stay on you lol  Sometimes I get them situated on the lid and flip it really quickly and secure it, making sure their legs aren't underneath on the sides and they go to the middle or sometimes I put them on a stick on the bottom of the cage, where they act all miffed for a few minutes and then climb back onto the top.

 

[Chemz]

Of the few that I've owned i never need to coax them to walk on my hand, it's like they are so fascinated with me they can't stand getting back in their enclosures. 

 

[cwebster]

Once they get a taste of honey they seem to find you irresistible.

 

[Bah]

I do this thing where I slightly cup my hand around their body and gently touch their "butt" it's fast and easy for them to just cling to me, although they are VERY chill as they are ghosts so I dunno how it'll be for other species

 

[PrayingMantisPets]

I wave my hand in front of them and they start reaching out wiggling their arms then they hop on. Most of the time it did work.

 

[Okoboji22]

I usually hold my hand in front of then in a way that it's like a wall. They like to climb up so usually they go right on but if one is too scared then I'll give it a little nudge and if they're still too scared I just put them back. 

 

[Bdawg]

My nymph just hopped right on when I heldy finger still for a moment, but he was hesitant to go on to the stick when I held it in front of it. 

 

[minomantis]

I try to stay away from touching their butts because I know it freaks them out, like in their mind, something is trying to eat them.  I only do it when I need them to move quickly.  Usually if you put your hand in front of them at a higher angle and they are looking to move, they will climb on your hand.  

Sometimes they'll start climbing on your hand but will feel the texture of it and will go back to what they were on, but then I just move my hand in a way where they will walk on my hand. I find it helpful to blow lightly.  If you think in the wild, they match their movement with the cross breeze, so they could encourage them to move.

Last idea, depending on how your hand is positions, sometimes they need to use the spikes on their front legs to help give them more leverage.  To a stick, that's nothing, but to the human hand, you may feel a little prick.  No reason to be alarmed at that, just know that that is a possible option.  Good luck!

 

[Mantis Lady]

I keep my hand before them. a bit higher that they can climb on it. They like to climb up something that is going up. If i want them back in their cup/home then I hold a fake plant before them so they can climb on that. then I can put them back in their home. With tthe exo terra, I hold my hand up, so they can climb on the lid.

 

[MantisGirl13]

Yeah, I usually nudge them a bit, or something.

- MantisGirl13