After the annual Asian lady beetle infestation began to wane and the weather in northern VT became too cold to shoo out the remaining survivors, it suddenly dawned on me: people raise these things, don't they? I could catch and feed and water the survivors, and maybe some of them might make it to the spring instead of dying in the lamp fixtures.
I did a little research, and set up a bug box on my jeweler's workbench, equipped with damp paper towels and wet raisins for my accidental houseguests. I have been watching my acquaintances do what ladybugs do for the last two weeks, which appears to be hang out under the damp paper towels; chow down on wet raisin with an enthusiasm I would not have expected in an arthropod; run around in circles for no apparent reason in the evening; and occasionally run around with the little ones chasing the big ones until they can crawl onto their backs, for reasons well known to the (lady)bird(beetle)s and the bees.
Suddenly spring seems just around the corner (and even sooner, if I dare to refrigerate my polka dotted buddies --- I am not yet confident I can do it without killing them outright, and my goal has been to preserve their life for as long as I possibly can, after all). I'm already beginning to miss my work mates. It will seem very lonely at the bench... unless of course I get more bugs.
And that, you see, brings me here. These guys take up much less space than my parrot (parrots, though small, require big honkin' pieces of furniture throughout the house), and vastly less space than the four dinner-plate sized red eared sliders that graced my family's basement during my childhood and teen years.
Why, I could fill my entire apartment with bugs!
But I think I'll fill it in small, manageable, stages
I am an experienced exotics person, experienced enough to know that nonstandard pets take research and a certain amount of acquired skill, to prosper. Bugs seem mighty nonstandard (I'm guessing even my vet doesn't see insects), so I had better do my research. Mantids have always had a special appeal to me, and so I'm here to learn if they're a good candidate for keeping me entertained -- perhaps even inspired (mantis jewelry? Carnivorous prayer beads??) at my bench.
And, with that introduction, I will shut up and learn.
(BTW: yes, refrigeration is my only option to get my harmonia guys some dormancy. I live in a high rise and have no access to a cold, protected, space like a garage)
I did a little research, and set up a bug box on my jeweler's workbench, equipped with damp paper towels and wet raisins for my accidental houseguests. I have been watching my acquaintances do what ladybugs do for the last two weeks, which appears to be hang out under the damp paper towels; chow down on wet raisin with an enthusiasm I would not have expected in an arthropod; run around in circles for no apparent reason in the evening; and occasionally run around with the little ones chasing the big ones until they can crawl onto their backs, for reasons well known to the (lady)bird(beetle)s and the bees.
Suddenly spring seems just around the corner (and even sooner, if I dare to refrigerate my polka dotted buddies --- I am not yet confident I can do it without killing them outright, and my goal has been to preserve their life for as long as I possibly can, after all). I'm already beginning to miss my work mates. It will seem very lonely at the bench... unless of course I get more bugs.
And that, you see, brings me here. These guys take up much less space than my parrot (parrots, though small, require big honkin' pieces of furniture throughout the house), and vastly less space than the four dinner-plate sized red eared sliders that graced my family's basement during my childhood and teen years.
Why, I could fill my entire apartment with bugs!
But I think I'll fill it in small, manageable, stages
I am an experienced exotics person, experienced enough to know that nonstandard pets take research and a certain amount of acquired skill, to prosper. Bugs seem mighty nonstandard (I'm guessing even my vet doesn't see insects), so I had better do my research. Mantids have always had a special appeal to me, and so I'm here to learn if they're a good candidate for keeping me entertained -- perhaps even inspired (mantis jewelry? Carnivorous prayer beads??) at my bench.And, with that introduction, I will shut up and learn.
(BTW: yes, refrigeration is my only option to get my harmonia guys some dormancy. I live in a high rise and have no access to a cold, protected, space like a garage)
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