insectories

[nasty bugger]

I've been seeking solutions to pest problems in my garden, mainly spidermites, and happened to find a place near tucson, that raises insects. I just went there for some green lace wings, to eat mites, and they had a building, out in the high desert, where they raise insects. Didn't even occur to me that they would have an 'insectory' there, maybe cause I was in a hurry.

I didn't get a tour of the building, but I did get a tour of the area outside, the garden and compost pile and insect traps etc, they specialize in beneficial insects to control other insects with, but the next time I go there I may get a chance to scope out the insectory. That may be interesting.

My point in posting is kinda to mention that places that you least expect to find stuff for the mantis' and other bugs may be able to help you in a pinch. I suppose they would have some live prey of some type that would keep a mantis alive in a pinch.

They also sell some mix, that I don't know if it would appeal to mantis' or not, called 'good bug power meal', that has powdered nectar an pollen and stuff in it. Supposed to keep the beneficial insects alive after they've decimated the prey they were brought in to get. Not sure if they'll eat it in a pinch, but I may try it on the mantis' if I get some next time.

Just a thought for a back up meal plan for the lil' buggers

Good night, it was a long ride

 

[Rick]

Sounds interesting. I wouldn't waste the time or money on the bug power meal. Mantids eat live insects and that's what you should feed them. You may get people telling you they fed their mantids tuna, banana, or honey but we all know what they should be eating. They can go awhile without eating so if you run out of food generally you can find something before they starve.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Rick is right, thats why he's the boss! The other stuff is just a treat that some may eat and some may not, most can find bugs to feed them even inside the house, spiders, mealworms, beetles things of that sort, moths, sometimes can even be found in your fav supermarket over the cereal isle! :lol:

 

[revmdn]

I thought that bee pollen was good for flower mandids.

 

[Katnapper]

I thought that bee pollen was good for flower mandids.

I think the consensus is that it's not proven to be beneficial, but cannot hurt.

 

[yen_saw]

Pollen is definately good for mantis. This link has some great info about pollen vs mantis healthy/mortality rate.

http://docserver.esa.catchword.org/deliver...5x/v32n4s22.pdf

 

[Katnapper]

Pollen is definately good for mantis. This link has some great info about pollen vs mantis healthy/mortality rate. http://docserver.esa.catchword.org/deliver...5x/v32n4s22.pdf

Wow, thank you for the link, Yen! I didn't realize any studies had been done that verified the benefits of pollen in the mantis diet! Thanks again...

 

[Rick]

I thought that bee pollen was good for flower mandids.

Probably is but I don't see how you would feed straight pollen. Most tend to dust their feeder insects with it.

 

[nasty bugger]

The power meal would be for the green lacewings that I went down to tucson to get. The adults eat that stuff. The stage of lacewings I would use is the pupae stage, where they eat anything that they can, so they can eat the mites in my garden.

I was told that the adult lacewings would make good chow for my mantis' also though, and the power meal would keep them around so they didn't go looking for other food. They said the adult green lacwings like honey and pollen and one other type of food, so that is the object of having the power meal.

I've not tried to feed any honey to my mantis' yet. I've fed crickets and mostly fruit flies, and found a little cockroach earlier today and caught him and took him to the mantis lair, and I didn't see him consumed yet, but he probably is already mantis manure, for my new up and coming mantis manure business....

 

[hibiscusmile]

The power meal would be for the green lacewings that I went down to tucson to get. The adults eat that stuff. The stage of lacewings I would use is the pupae stage, where they eat anything that they can, so they can eat the mites in my garden. I was told that the adult lacewings would make good chow for my mantis' also though, and the power meal would keep them around so they didn't go looking for other food. They said the adult green lacwings like honey and pollen and one other type of food, so that is the object of having the power meal.

I've not tried to feed any honey to my mantis' yet. I've fed crickets and mostly fruit flies, and found a little cockroach earlier today and caught him and took him to the mantis lair, and I didn't see him consumed yet, but he probably is already mantis manure, for my new up and coming mantis manure business....

NOw your starting to scare me!

 

[kamakiri]

Thanks for the post. Too bad that large insectaries don't breed exotic mantises! I might get some lacewings later to see if they make good general gargen predators and mantis food. I naturally have some around once it warms up, but I've never thought to trap any myself.

Found one in Southern California here:

http://www.rinconvitova.com

 

[Katnapper]

Thanks for the post. Too bad that large insectaries don't breed exotic mantises! I might get some lacewings later to see if they make good general gargen predators and mantis food. I naturally have some around once it warms up, but I've never thought to trap any myself.Found one in Southern California here:

http://www.rinconvitova.com

Hehe... I clicked on the link expecting to see a pic of a lacewing, lol. :lol:

 

[kamakiri]

Hehe... I clicked on the link expecting to see a pic of a lacewing, lol. :lol:

:lol: Crazy.

 

[Katnapper]

:lol: Crazy.

Kamakiri, I don't think my husband and son would disagree with you... :lol:

 

[yen_saw]

Thanks for the info, i hope to catch more lace wings coming this summer.

 

[kamakiri]

Kamakiri, I don't think my husband and son would disagree with you... :lol:

My wife too...and probably applies to most of us on this board! But you know you have an understanding family if you can end an argument with a threat pose! :lol:

 

[Katnapper]

My wife too...and probably applies to most of us on this board! But you know you have an understanding family if you can end an argument with a threat pose! :lol:

Now that's a good one! Must try... :lol:

 

[Dinora]

Now that's a good one! Must try... :lol:

:huh: If I tried a threat pose one of my cats would just run up and bat at me... and my husband would look at the ceiling and sigh.

Then again... it probably WOULD end the argument! LOL