How to escape the death grip.

[mykey14]

Hello all,

I have a few aggressive species and some of them like to latch onto my fingers and chomp away! I think that they think my fingers are mealworms or some sort of food. I would like to know the best way to get out of their tiny painful death grip, because if I don't get them off fast enough they start to eat me!

-Mykey

 

[Bryce08]

keep somthing handy like little bamboo skewer or small stick...u can be gentle and firm with them...but ive yet to have this problem of them doing other than like maybe once by mistake.

 

[lunarstorm]

Agreed, a skewer is a handy tool when handling mantids.

Do you feed them well before handling them? I don't handle my mantids more than once or twice a week but I feed them well before I do. I've never had one go after a finger yet.

 

[Rick]

Just grab the leg and pry it open. It's an insect, not a pitt bull.

 

[lancaster1313]

I like to use an actual feeder to stick in their mouths on the rare occasions that that happens. It has only happened to me with Tenodera sinensis, but the Heirodula multispina and Stagmomantis carolina take my daughters' fingers sometimes. I believe that she lets it happen to her on purpose.

Yesterday, she tried feeding a fly to an adult female H. multispina, with her fingers. Of course, the mantis got both! :lol:

If you can read your mantids' behavior, you can avoid being grabbed or bitten. I can usually tell when my mantids are hungry.

 

[Psychobunny]

I just spray cold water on them when they latch on to me.

Almost always works. If not, gently (but firmly) grab them by the thorax and just pull it off

(the mantis, not the thorax!!

 

[Krissim Klaw]

I tickle them with feathers if I want them to let go of something. Yep, I am that hardcore. :gun_bandana:

 

[mykey14]

Agreed, a skewer is a handy tool when handling mantids.

Do you feed them well before handling them? I don't handle my mantids more than once or twice a week but I feed them well before I do. I've never had one go after a finger yet.

Yes I do feed them before handling.

I feed them roaches, moths, and beetles along with any house spiders I can find. I try to avoid feeding them mealworms now after they mauled my fingers...

 

[mykey14]

Just grab the leg and pry it open. It's an insect, not a pitt bull.

I'm afraid that I might rip their little arms off.

I think that their so fragile but apparently their not. LoL

 

[hibiscusmile]

Just grab the leg and pry it open. It's an insect, not a pitt bull.

haha, u so tough Rick, I like your style, but some of us are chicken! count me in that group! but tks for the tickle!

 

[hibiscusmile]

I like to use my long forceps, once u get them underneath them, u just let them open and it usually helps.

 

[CoolMantid]

Spray it with water! Right in the face. Thats only if they are really hurting you. Otherwise use forceps.

 

[Mr.Mantid]

I like to spray water on them too when they start eating my fingers.

 

[Ntsees]

I usually just open up the forelegs carefully (no twisting) with my fingers. If you don't want to pry open the forelegs, you can try a method I've never used:

1) the mantid has your finger with it's forelegs and won't let go

2) lightly pinch it's anus/butt (if you don't want to pinch, just annoy it's abdomen)

3) it'll release your finger and turn around to attack what's annoying/pinching it

 

[Rick]

I'm afraid that I might rip their little arms off.

I think that their so fragile but apparently their not. LoL

You'll be fine.

 

[Termite48]

I have never had one latch onto my fingers. I think if that were happening from time to time, as when you are cleaning their enclosure and the mantids have to be removed, I would wear gloves. Today I did have to remove mantids from a few net cages to various containers and by far the worst thing was to try to catch adult Creobroter pictipennis adults. They have to be the most flighty mantid in captivity. One actually flew away to a nearby bush. Thanks to a quick glance to see where it landed it was not hard to find and get back into possession. I also feel that some of the mantids are so fragile that I dare not do too much of what Rick described. Perhaps because I am not very dextrous, and that my hands are large, I am afraid to squash the mantid.

 

[mykey14]

I like to spray water on them too when they start eating my fingers.

I tried that with the mantis that has been giving me the most trouble. It's an Asian mantis ( I have no idea what it is) and just yesterday I went in to take all of the bug parts and poopy out of his cage. I reached in to take a bit of a cricket out and he lunged at my tasty fingers and started to nibble. So I sprayed water on him and I guess that just fueled his need to feed and he started to hurt and draw blood. Now I'm gonna wear a glove to do anything with him as stated some where on this topic.

 

[sporeworld]

Yup - like Psychobunny and Hibiscus mentioned, I use forceps to feed, and if they bite me when handling them, they get the spray bottle (rather agggresively sprayed, I might add). I think the Stagmomantis are the common offenders for me.

 

[Mantiskid]

One time this happened to my dad's friend and when he pulled the mantis off its head and forelegs stayed on his finger.