how long does it take you to feed/clean out your mantids?
- Thread starter beckyl92
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U R funny Yen, not a chance, it is, check cage, everybody doing ok, dump poop, spray water, dump flies or fish out crickets, close cage, stick back on shelf ,... on to the next one. I just finished feeding half of the girls tonight, and about a dozen boys, an that took over an hour or so, then fed the roaches, superworms, crickets, mealworms, carried out the garbage, washed my hands and face, took some pills to relieve whatever is ailing me today and got a drink and came in here, all the while kicking myself, because I was too pooped to finish feeding the orchids tonight, gave them a drink this morning an figured to just feed them tomorrow. Had to much on my plate today, worked feeding at 6 am until, 9 am, then started fruit fly cultures, just getting the mix together and running outside before the rain came to mix it, it always floats around the kitchen and then everything needs dusting, so I do it outside, made the wet mix and went into the new Bugatorium to work, worked there until 1:30 and then ran and disabled the router to my pc and put in Bugatorium, signal isn't reaching the shop in back and then ran to shop to see if I could connect, nothing... back up tothe house.... my pc barely connecting. Back to fruit fly culture, mixed it up and put foil over it till later...later haha.... still isn't done... back to Bugatorium to work on shelving, got it all up and just have to fix... oh theres the door, it is the "Geeks on Wheels" coming to help on the router problem.... can't member password to old pc put in Bugatorium so he will have to come back with software,.... heads to shop in back.... we walk there... can't connect, wonders if the wep password has changed... I wasn't sure what verizon did ... back to house,.... yea it was changed...back to shop... fixed it but stilll has to come back next week... with a repeater and software..... :lol: ... it is now about 6pm and hungry, hubby looks at me and I tell him it is can soup, what does he want, can't decide so we open two and each have half a can of each and a grilled cheese with ham sandwich... back to old bug room to feed, which is where this paragraph started,,,, now almost 9 pm and time for old lady to lay down, watch fifteen minutes of tv and fall asleep!Rebecca, are you serious!! :blink: wow..... Do you watch them finish theri food before going to the next cage
:lol: :blink:
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charleyandbecky
Well-known member
That is a seriously full day.
As for me, it probably takes about 20 minutes start to finish to clean and feed everyone. But, if I decide to get the kids involved, it takes much longer because they like to watch the hunt, the strike, the meal, the after-meal grooming, etc. Takes forever! I've developed a pretty good system, though, so I usually try to do the feeding and cleaning while they are at school. All except Harry, who is 2, and he watches. He can't say Mantis. He says, "Panties."
Rebecca
As for me, it probably takes about 20 minutes start to finish to clean and feed everyone. But, if I decide to get the kids involved, it takes much longer because they like to watch the hunt, the strike, the meal, the after-meal grooming, etc. Takes forever! I've developed a pretty good system, though, so I usually try to do the feeding and cleaning while they are at school. All except Harry, who is 2, and he watches. He can't say Mantis. He says, "Panties."
Rebecca
HAHA, BABIES, GOTTA LOVE EM... PANTIES!
kamakiri
Well-known member
I feed about a third of the herd in about 20-40 minutes. Feeding a few tubs of nymphs with fruit flies is quick. Feeding all the individually housed mantises takes a little while. I usually rotate feeding from every day to about every third depending on the mantis.
Tap out the poo cleaning is done during the feeding schedule and probably doubles the time to feed. Rinse and wipe-down cleaning is mainly done on the weekends and I try to do about half in a day.
Tap out the poo cleaning is done during the feeding schedule and probably doubles the time to feed. Rinse and wipe-down cleaning is mainly done on the weekends and I try to do about half in a day.
PhilinYuma
Well-known member
This is an interesting thread! So long as I have lotsa flies, the feeding part of the day goes quickly. Attach my pattented fly catcher to the vacuum cleaner, turn on and suck up between 50-100 flies depending on what mantids I have at the time. Pop the jar in the freezer with timer set to 5 mins, pull out two cold packs, put them in my 1gal. bucket with an inch or two of water. Dump the chilled flies into the water and feed them to the mantids 2-3 at a time with a paintbrush and give a cupla spritzes (I never lift the spritzer), about one pot for 10-15 secs. I don't do any cleaning. After feeding, I check to see if they are eating and if not why not. Oh! That one's dead!
At another time of day, I'll prepare ten MT pots with fresh pads and sticks. I use a bung in the side and top, and I'll start transferring one species when the mantis is on a stick or the lid. Just pull it off, scold it if it moves and put it on the new pot. Ten pots, twenty mins. I feed ffs through the top bung with a funnel. Very quick. Biggest job is preparing ff cultures, feeding three boxes of roaches, Turkestan and dubia, and finding the things I mislaid earlier. The walk to the pet store and back is six miles, so I don't feed a lot of crix, though it is nice to see Tiffany and Ashley
At another time of day, I'll prepare ten MT pots with fresh pads and sticks. I use a bung in the side and top, and I'll start transferring one species when the mantis is on a stick or the lid. Just pull it off, scold it if it moves and put it on the new pot. Ten pots, twenty mins. I feed ffs through the top bung with a funnel. Very quick. Biggest job is preparing ff cultures, feeding three boxes of roaches, Turkestan and dubia, and finding the things I mislaid earlier. The walk to the pet store and back is six miles, so I don't feed a lot of crix, though it is nice to see Tiffany and Ashley
sbugir
Well-known member
Phil, I'm assuming Tiffany and Ashley are the "cute" girls at the pet store?
hmmm.... so on a day some ooth hatch i imagine you go like.... OH NO!!!U R funny Yen, not a chance, it is, check cage, everybody doing ok, dump poop, spray water, dump flies or fish out crickets, close cage, stick back on shelf ,... on to the next one. I just finished feeding half of the girls tonight, and about a dozen boys, an that took over an hour or so, then fed the roaches, superworms, crickets, mealworms, carried out the garbage, washed my hands and face, took some pills to relieve whatever is ailing me today and got a drink and came in here, all the while kicking myself, because I was too pooped to finish feeding the orchids tonight, gave them a drink this morning an figured to just feed them tomorrow. Had to much on my plate today, worked feeding at 6 am until, 9 am, then started fruit fly cultures, just getting the mix together and running outside before the rain came to mix it, it always floats around the kitchen and then everything needs dusting, so I do it outside, made the wet mix and went into the new Bugatorium to work, worked there until 1:30 and then ran and disabled the router to my pc and put in Bugatorium, signal isn't reaching the shop in back and then ran to shop to see if I could connect, nothing... back up tothe house.... my pc barely connecting. Back to fruit fly culture, mixed it up and put foil over it till later...later haha.... still isn't done... back to Bugatorium to work on shelving, got it all up and just have to fix... oh theres the door, it is the "Geeks on Wheels" coming to help on the router problem.... can't member password to old pc put in Bugatorium so he will have to come back with software,.... heads to shop in back.... we walk there... can't connect, wonders if the wep password has changed... I wasn't sure what verizon did ... back to house,.... yea it was changed...back to shop... fixed it but stilll has to come back next week... with a repeater and software..... :lol: ... it is now about 6pm and hungry, hubby looks at me and I tell him it is can soup, what does he want, can't decide so we open two and each have half a can of each and a grilled cheese with ham sandwich... back to old bug room to feed, which is where this paragraph started,,,, now almost 9 pm and time for old lady to lay down, watch fifteen minutes of tv and fall asleep!
Your mantis are spoil. Compare to yours mine live in a slump.PhilinYuma
Well-known member
sbugir
Well-known member
PhilinYuma
Well-known member
I think that guys are just called "dirty old men." But remember, dirty old men need love, too!You, cougar, you.
ZoeRipper
Well-known member
Oh Phil, you're so cute. Your posts make me giggle.I think that guys are just called "dirty old men." But remember, dirty old men need love, too!
hmmm.... so on a day some ooth hatch i imagine you go like.... OH NO!!! Your mantis are spoil. Compare to yours mine live in a slump.
haha, you know the song : movin on up to the east side" ! If they need a vacation, send them on over!
haha, you know the song : movin on up to the east side" ! If they need a vacation, send them on over!
chrisnoahdana
Well-known member
It takes me hours feeding adults and spaying is easy its all the kids that take forever also have to feed the right kids the right food too diff sizes and then i make sure there all eating too I can spend about 4-5 hrs a day Chris
