Humidity Problem

[ladygigi]

One problem I'm finding is that 5 mins. after I mist, the cup is dry and there is no humidity. One person I read puts plastic sheeting over half the lid. I don't know about that, but I do have the moss that is used in terrariums to hold in and maintain humidity. Would it be okay to put a little of that in the bottom of each of my cups? I'm unsure because of the way mantids forceps have almost like little teeth on them and I was thinking the moss might 'catch' on those little teeth and the nymphs could get caught up in it. What is everyone's ideas on this?

 

[Paradoxica]

Moss is a great way to hold humidity, and the mantis shouldn't have a problem

 

[Precarious]

I would not suggest you use moss in cups or other small enclosures. It will make it too humid and breed mold and fungus which is not healthy for the mantis. Moss is great for large enclosures but keep it in a shallow dish to contain the water and make cleaning easier.

I mist my mantids all in the morning and again at night. It's mostly important to keep humidity up at those times as this is when they mostly choose to molt. And more important than constant humidity is making sure the mantid gets a chance to drink daily. A drop in humidity is not a big deal, even if they choose to molt, so long as they have enough fluid in their body to lubricate the process.

 

[BugLover]

I have the pet store moss (sphagnum moss i think) in the bottom of my nymph's cups. It hasn't molded, but I only mist every 2 days or so.

 

[glock34girl]

I have used moss in nymph cups and it grows mold like crazy lol. What I've been doing is putting the cups collectively in another large Tupperware container with some insulation foam in the bottom and water. You still have access to the nymphs for feeding and spraying but the water in the larger container keeps the humidity up as well. Also, cut a vent in the large container and pop lid in it. Been working good here. Ripped it off of someone else.

 

[gripen]

If you are having trouble with mold use springtails. I never get mold when they are in the container.

 

[glock34girl]

Yeah I have a culture of them. But nymphs get paper towels cause there's too many of them lol

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Small pet bedding(paper mulch) works great and is anti-mold, I switched from moss about a year ago and I'll never go back, most species I keep need high RH and this stuff is the bomb!!!

 

[dgerndt]

I use paper towel on the bottom, and just a bit of sphagnum moss for nymphs, more for adults. You just don't want to use too much, or the feeders can hide too well. I've never had a problem with mold growing on the moss. I've had problems with cocoa fiber substrate, and real sticks from outside that haven't been baked. So I always bake my sticks for at least 30 minutes on 150 degrees.

I recommend moss, as I've had a lot of molting problems when I don't use it. And if I'm going to be gone for a day, I just dip the moss in water, squeeze out the excess, and place it in the cup.

Plus, I mist nymphs twice. Once in the morning, once at night. That is when they're most likely to molt.

 

[ladygigi]

Small pet bedding(paper mulch) works great and is anti-mold, I switched from moss about a year ago and I'll never go back, most species I keep need high RH and this stuff is the bomb!!!

Pet bedding (paper mulch)? You mean that stuff that they use in hamster cages? :wacko:

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Yep, that's the stuff. It breaks up so a little goes a long way, holds moisture better than moss with absolutely no mold. I've tried everything under the sun and this stuff is the best(it comes in colors if you want), try it you'll see what I mean.

 

[Mvalenz]

I just use paper towel. effective and inexpensive. You might want to use finer screen on your opening. I use a cloth type screen for certain situations that need to retain more humidity. I agree with Precarious. I've noticed that making sure they are drinking daily seams to be a bigger factor for good health of your mantids. I've noticed even after misting daily they seem to still be very thirsty when given water from a skewer or spoon like they haven't been drinking at all.

 

[fleurdejoo]

Sometimes I have a humidifier going but I use paper towels for substrate and just spray the mantis itself 2-3 times a day. Not hard!! A gentle mist.

 

[dgerndt]

I just spray inside the enclosure, and make sure to spray the mantis a little. That way, they clean it off of their faces, and get a bit of water. If they're still thirsty, they drink off the walls or lid.