How does your family view your mantis keeping hobby?

[superfreak]

my parents are mildly amused and hate the escapees. mums happy that she's got something new to threaten me with :"ill let your bugs go!". lol. my boyfriend enjoys watching them but drew the line when i ran out of space and tried to move some of my babies into his place

 

[Krissim Klaw]

You mean other than the fact I was nicknamed The Mantis Queen. I really get a range in my family/friends. Everything from sheer terror when it comes to my mom, to curiosity, amusement and so on. Naturally they all think I'm a little crazy, but I didn't need the mantises for that. Most of the people I have met have gotten a good laugh out of my bug stories and seem genuinely interested when they hear I keep mantises. Not exactly the most common household pet. Actually I think I convinced several of my college professors into looking into picking up one for a pet. Being I was a English/Studio Art major they popped up a lot in my writing and artwork. :wub:

 

[revmdn]

I am a collector of many things, like toys, comic books, books, sea glass, shells. I'm also a animal lover. My mother used to breed Yorkshire Terriers. I had a pet hedgehog when I was in grade school. So, I have some understanding of animals. I have had a few mantids that I found outside but tended to let them go. I'm excited to really get into the hobby. My girlfriend really dislikes any kind of insect, but is tolerant, as long as she doesn't have to get involved. My five year old daughter loves them. She was really upset when our last mantid died. We have to replace him very soon. My parents think it's funny, maybe a little weird, but they love animals also. I have Buddhist beliefs so, I'm a little weird about feeding live animals to another. But, thats nature. I wouldn't try to feed a dog tofu. My friends have always thought I was strange.

 

[cloud jaguar]

I have Buddhist beliefs so, I'm a little weird about feeding live animals to another. But, thats nature. I wouldn't try to feed a dog tofu. My friends have always thought I was strange.

My chihuahua dogs love tofu! (soy bacon, soy sausage, tofurkey, ground soy). I wonder if mantids like tofu?

 

[Katnapper]

My chihuahua dogs love tofu! (soy bacon, soy sausage, tofurkey, ground soy). I wonder if mantids like tofu?

Arkanis, try it and let us know! (I'm assuming you normally buy/have it around)

 

[revmdn]

Any luck with the soy feeding? I have seen a few videos on Youtube with people feeding their mantises jam and hot dogs, and herd of feeding them wet cat food. Is any of that bad?

 

[eaglewarrior]

All my roommates are also study in the department of entomology so that there are many insects in our room now. One of them breed termites, another is cockroaches, and I am mantids and stag beetles. breeding mantids isn't strange here, sometimes they even help me to feed them.

 

[The_Asa]

Any luck with the soy feeding? I have seen a few videos on Youtube with people feeding their mantises jam and hot dogs, and herd of feeding them wet cat food. Is any of that bad?

I imagine it would be if in excess.

 

[d0rk2dafullest]

my mom and dad and friends think im crazy for harboring bugs in my house.

they do think im wierd, and they dont really care much =P

 

[hibiscusmile]

All my roommates are also study in the department of entomology so that there are many insects in our room now. One of them breed termites, another is cockroaches, and I am mantids and stag beetles. breeding mantids isn't strange here, sometimes they even help me to feed them.

Don't think I could quite sleep at night knowing termites and roaches were nearby... ok I am sure I couldn't, I would be sitting up with your shoes in my hand hitting anything that moved :blink:

 

[Katnapper]

Don't think I could quite sleep at night knowing termites and roaches were nearby... ok I am sure I couldn't, I would be sitting up with your shoes in my hand hitting anything that moved :blink:

Lol@Rebecca! :lol: What makes it even funnier is you said "your" shoes... like you wouldn't use your own to smash creepie crawlies, you'd use eaglewarriors! ...let alone take yours off your feet! ~still giggling~

You know, I'm OK with most bugs as long as they don't get on me by surprise, except for mostly spiders and roaches. But I'll have to say spiders really creep me out. And roaches used to also, still do in fact. But now I'm very seriously considering buying some dubias to raise and breed as feeders. Need to do some more research, but the more I read the less they bother me. :huh: Have you ever, or do you raise or keep feeder roaches for your babies, Rebecca?

 

[hibiscusmile]

Lol@Rebecca! :lol: What makes it even funnier is you said "your" shoes... like you wouldn't use your own to smash creepie crawlies, you'd use eaglewarriors! ...let alone take yours off your feet! ~still giggling~You know, I'm OK with most bugs as long as they don't get on me by surprise, except for mostly spiders and roaches. But I'll have to say spiders really creep me out. And roaches used to also, still do in fact. But now I'm very seriously considering buying some dubias to raise and breed as feeders. Need to do some more research, but the more I read the less they bother me. :huh: Have you ever, or do you raise or keep feeder roaches for your babies, Rebecca?

Now who's the funny girl? No way, I have considered it, but my hubby would probably take his shoe off and crack me a couple times with it. ha ha, it would be me saying to my poor old feet" feet don't fail me now!" :lol: , Naw seriously I lived in the poor side of town when I first got married (many moons ago) and the people next door were very nasty housekeepers, and they had some kind of German Roach I believe, well the landlady had an exterminator come in and spray and the guy when done, stood outside laughing because he saw them leaving and coming over to my yard and I guess he thought it was funny, I didn't, hated them, which I promptly became infested with them, and also had a boyfriend, (yes we called them that even back then) God you would think I was ancient ! His family named them when they ran across the table :] Also I worked somewhere that had the Palmano roaches and they were bigger than I was, scared the snot out of me whenever I saw one, wanted to take out my 38 and blow their heads off! AW NUTS! So all in all the simple answer would be NO!

 

[Katnapper]

Now who's the funny girl? No way, I have considered it, but my hubby would probably take his shoe off and crack me a couple times with it. ha ha, it would be me saying to my poor old feet" feet don't fail me now!" :lol: , Naw seriously I lived in the poor side of town when I first got married (many moons ago) and the people next door were very nasty housekeepers, and they had some kind of German Roach I believe, well the landlady had an exterminator come in and spray and the guy when done, stood outside laughing because he saw them leaving and coming over to my yard and I guess he thought it was funny, I didn't, hated them, which I promptly became infested with them, and also had a boyfriend, (yes we called them that even back then) God you would think I was ancient ! His family named them when they ran across the table :] Also I worked somewhere that had the Palmano roaches and they were bigger than I was, scared the snot out of me whenever I saw one, wanted to take out my 38 and blow their heads off! AW NUTS! So all in all the simple answer would be NO!

Lol... I see! :lol: Reminds me of when I was a kid... My parents divorced when I was 7, and mom moved us (my brother, me, and her) to this little rental house that was infested with roaches. Omg... it was horrible. You could see them running around everywhere. I remember sitting on a wooden chair in the dining room with my feet up crying, and feeling petrified of moving or any getting on me. And I'll never forget the time I bought my first house. The next morning after moving in, I went into the bathroom and was at the sink. I looked down and there was a roach nestled in between the bristles of my toothbrush, looking up at me. I about died. The funny thing was, I'm a very frugal person, and I didn't want to throw the toothbrush away because it was new. I washed and scrubbed it and even soaked it in bleach... but I couldn't get the image of that cockroach in it out of my head. The dilemma really stressed me out for several days! (In the meantime I bought another new toothbrush). But I just couldn't bring myself to use it so I ended up throwing it out.

I started researching feeder roaches recently, and some of those websites do a really good job of distancing those images, and making the feeder roaches almost seem like a joy to work with and keep. Hmmm. :huh: If I do decide to go that route, I'll just go ahead and order them... no telling hubby first! :lol:

 

[kmsgameboy]

I'm wondering what everyone else's families and/or roomates thinks of your hobby of mantis keeping? Do they also get into it and think it's great? Or do they dislike it? Something in between? Do they think you're crazy?My husband tolerates them (and the various feeders). But he definitely doesn't share the same interest in them as I do. His attitude is, "Do what you want, if it makes you happy... but don't expect me to join you in it." B) Sometimes he rolls his eyes, puts his head in his hands, and sighs, "Oh, God!" whenever I start talking about my "babies" to our friends. I think he likes the comic effect of people feeling sorry for him, being overwhelmed by my "bugs" as he calls them. :wacko: He's usually fairly indulgent, except for the few times when escapee feeders have gotten loose (I'm working on remedying that). But he just can't fathom my attraction to "bugs." I'm currently trying to figure a permanent plan on where to put them all. His (serious) suggestion was the basement. :angry: <_<

My 9 year old son shares some of my enthusiasm, but not as much as I'd like. He gets bored with, and usually avoids helping me look for wild mantids, oothes, or catching mantis dinners in the Summer. But he does think they're neat. I get the feeling some of my co-workers and friends think I'm a bit "strange" sometimes.

What does your family think of the mantids, feeders, and your interest in keeping them?

I keep telling my wife that I am going to start a mantid army! LOL (You have to have something to fight the coming zombie attacks right? ) Anyway she keeps telling me that if I bring any "bugs" into the house then shes gone...but shes loves me and I know that realy she says it just to get a laugh from our friends!

 

[MantidLord]

Awesome topic. My dad loves my enthusiasm. All my uncles inspired me to take them up and support me. My mom is neutral. She'll buy feeders for them, but she doesn't really like them. She'll take care of them for short periods (but that's just to please me). Though if I do something wrong, she blames the mantids. <_< My step-dad is mildly interested, but HATES escapees (whether feeders or mantids). Kids at school sometimes tease, but it's ok. Some of my friends find some for me and are mildly interested while others think I have bugs swarming my house.lol. Although Idon't talk about mantids when talking to girls. lol.

 

[sk8erkho]

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHAHAHHA!!! Good one!!!! My mom is the best,man!! she is the last one I expected to be down like that!! I mean she was never scared to let them crawl on her she talks baby girble to them and everything!!! My youngest sister has bug a phobia!!! :angry: When she was 7 we were on our way home from a road trip at one point we had to pull over to the side of the highway to let here relieve herself. She came back to the car with a tick attached to her. She did not know until we got home and she found it sucking on her neck!!LOL!!! She totally freaked out and we heard 'it was on me, mommy.. it was on meeeeee!' for days after!!! well to this day she hates, I mean HATES bugs of any type. But I can imagine if she had to put up with a bug of some sort it would be mantids as roaches totally unravels her, Talk about spontaneous paranoid schizoid attack, she'd have a total meltdown!!!

When we inherited the six ooths back in 2004 she was all for leaving them out in the freezing cold for dead!!! She calls my crib the bug house and when I had an ant problem she related it to the mantids. So, now any bug problem to her is related to the mantids!!! She won't come anywhere near them and freaks out when I come around here forgetting that i have one camped out in my hair (they always climb up and pose in my hair)!!! My other younger sister is cool with it she won't hold wm but she is interested especially in details of the species, I like that!!! And last are my boys!!! They have been with me in this right from the beginning!! The eldest one who actually got this whole thing started is in Misawa Japan now in the Air Force and last we spoke he misses having the little buggers around. My little dudes 14 and 9 are here with me and we go through it all together. They are great at feeding, cleaning tanks, keeping a lookout for mantids in trouble during moulting, cannibalism alert etc. They are my back up team 'team mantid'!!!!

 

[hibiscusmile]

It is fun to have them around, it is always a way to break the ice with people who drop in. My hubby still complains about the flies in the house, all thanksgiving day u could hear him, WE ARE the only house in OHIO with flies in mid winter. hahaha, I said Oh shup and eat em :lol: The boys are about done coming in and sticking things in their mouths, I always have feeder food going, either for the dog or the bugs. The dog gets dog cookies, which usually consists of shredded pork and beef liver, I blend up in blender and add cornmeal and stuff to and bake, comes out lookin like brownies, ha ha ha, really they do not taste to bad, just kinda surprising when u think your mouth is ready for chocolate and get liver instead, or the cornmeal and peanut butter cookies or the fruit fly potato mix with fruit in it. Yea, I gotta say I always did tell them boys, whatever you do, don't pi... off the cook!!! Hard to tell what she will feed ya.

ps, sorry I think I got off topic.

 

[Katnapper]

Rebecca, at first my husband always asked about anything he didn't recognize or know what it was in the fridge. Once in a while he still does. But now he usually just avoids anything "suspicious," especially anything with a vented lid... "it's something for your bugs!"

 

[PhilinYuma]

ps, sorry I think I got off topic.

Was there a topic?

Sunny is the only member of her family who likes meals with rice, so last week I took over some sweet and sour pork that i know she likes. I put it in a ziplock inside a Tupperware box of rice. I put it in the freezer in the garage and told her that I had left a box of grubs for my critters there because I was out of room. She just rolled her eyes, but I noticed last night that the box was still there, untouched. Guess I'll have to eat some in front of her to prove that it's just rice!

 

[Anleoflippy]

To tell you the truth, My father is an expert keeping mantids.He kept 3 male and 4 females of Deroplatys desiccata when he was a teenager.He is not interest in Mantids now but he does give some tips.And as for my mother, my mom hate cockroaches and she wants me to feed my mantis cockroaches, so I do what she says and my mom appreciate it...

As for my Friends, they think it is interesting but some say weird, as for my Best friend or My girl friend... She is breeding a Hymenopus Coronatus...

:lol: