Here is a interesting question what would you all t hink if someone in your family thinks you need to find a better hobby then raising bugs and spending hundreds of dollars on them when in reality they last for a few months and what not? I was just wondering as I go through this with my mom from time to time as she says I need to find a more fulfilling hobby where things will last longer then a few months but I do enjoy raising mantids!!
just one question
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lancaster1313
Likebugs (site changed my name😐)
I don't spend hundreds of dollars or anything, but there are a few people who don't approve of my hobby.
Perhaps you can turn it around so that you don't spend as much money in the long run?
Breeding all of your own feeders can help. Also, selling the extra insects helps.
When I made a buck or 2 selling a few bugs locally, my husband stopped complaining immediately and actually started helping me wrangle up mantis, and even roach nymphs. :tt2:
Perhaps you can turn it around so that you don't spend as much money in the long run?
Breeding all of your own feeders can help. Also, selling the extra insects helps.
When I made a buck or 2 selling a few bugs locally, my husband stopped complaining immediately and actually started helping me wrangle up mantis, and even roach nymphs. :tt2:
meaganelise9
Well-known member
Well, I can't say that I spend that much (I couldn't afford to). If someone criticizes my hobby, they can ____ off. If the person you live with is not ok with it, that's one thing. If my husband was really not comfortable with it, that would be the only way I'd be willing to stop. But someone not living with me? Huh uh. My hobby, my money, my fulfillment. And it IS fulfilling. Sometimes I think I got into this because I'm 30 and never had kids (never wanted to), and my hormones are telling me I'm supposed to be rearing and caring for something! lol Bugs have a shorter life than babies. That I can handle. My dad raises an eyebrow at what I do, but whatever. It's not the end of the world. He doesn't have to keep them. My husband was really nervous about it at first. Now he's all excited about the new Ghost! haha
meaganelise9
Well-known member
That's a good point. Just buying an ooth, you can more than make your money back if you're good at caring for nymphs and finding them new homes. Of course caring for a lot of babies takes time, but that's still a personal choice.
dlemmings
Well-known member
We have owned many dogs over the years, and between shots, vet bills and food & flea meds and grooming the expence of a few bugs is neglegable. the next arguement will of course be the love and comanionship cats & dogs provide that bugs cannot. but any hobby from fishing to snowboarding is still gonna cost $ for equipment travel and the cost of admission. so mantid keeping is a reasonable expence for the reward and little chance of injury or other negetives.
as for thier short lives...justifies multiple species and breeding.
as for thier short lives...justifies multiple species and breeding.
ismart
Well-known member
The bottom line is. If raising, and keeping mantids is what makes you happy? And, you enjoy it, then do it! Who cares what other people think?
Ten good answers. For the inquiring mind
1.don't hate
2.(take out mantis) what did you say again?
3.they last longer than a couple months if you keep them cultured
4.well I could choose another hobby you might not like as much
5.when the army of chaeta take over the world youll be sorry you doubted my ethics.
6.(ask) what would make a better hobby? (and pretend to listen for a little while then abruptly interrupt saying that) oh, man! need to go feed my mantis that I forgot to.
7.(compliment the inquirer, then explain respectfully that) mantids are an essential building block of our eco system and help to prevent and keep pests out of the house and that with the right education you realize its an honor to keep such an insect.
8. Well I also (list other hobbies) what do you do for your hobby (maybe you share some)
9. I appreciate your thoughts and concerns, would you do me the same favor and not judge a bookcover
10. With enough experience this could develop into a career id be very happy with.(zoo keeper,entomologist,biologist etc)
1.don't hate
2.(take out mantis) what did you say again?
3.they last longer than a couple months if you keep them cultured
4.well I could choose another hobby you might not like as much
5.when the army of chaeta take over the world youll be sorry you doubted my ethics.
6.(ask) what would make a better hobby? (and pretend to listen for a little while then abruptly interrupt saying that) oh, man! need to go feed my mantis that I forgot to.
7.(compliment the inquirer, then explain respectfully that) mantids are an essential building block of our eco system and help to prevent and keep pests out of the house and that with the right education you realize its an honor to keep such an insect.
8. Well I also (list other hobbies) what do you do for your hobby (maybe you share some)
9. I appreciate your thoughts and concerns, would you do me the same favor and not judge a bookcover
10. With enough experience this could develop into a career id be very happy with.(zoo keeper,entomologist,biologist etc)
meaganelise9
Well-known member
That's not too far off. I've been enlisted to give advice to a local zookeeper that runs the herp/bug building. They're kind of clueless! They have about a million hissers in a tiny cage and were contemplating putting carnivorous plants and mantids in the same enclosure together! Obviously I'm more than happy to advise on mantis-keeping.
For one thing, just because individuals don't live for more than a year or so doesn't mean the hobby is short-lived, you know?
It irritates me when someone scorns someone else's hobbies, because it usually means "I'm not interested in that, why are YOU wasting all your money on it?"
What does "fulfilling" mean? If it means enjoyment I'm guessing you've got that or you wouldn't be doing it, and that's ultimately the purpose of hobbies. If it means, what do you have to show for it? .... it's a hobby. It's not meant to be productive, then it might feel like work (which has happened with one of my hobbies). Is, say, flower gardening any more productive or "fulfilling"? You can't do anything with them but look at them, and they only live for a season. Still, it's something a lot of people enjoy and no one thinks is weird or a waste of money (and you can spend crazy amounts of money on gardening). But you get the enjoyment of watching something you took care of grow and thrive. Pretty much the same thing with mantids. And they are way more interactive than flowers
I agree with Meagan. I will probably not keep mantids in my son's room when he's home from college because they creep him out a little, and that matters to me. My household family's opinon matters to me, anyone else is just trying to push their values on me.
Sad to say, mothers are rather notorious for that :whistling:
It irritates me when someone scorns someone else's hobbies, because it usually means "I'm not interested in that, why are YOU wasting all your money on it?"
What does "fulfilling" mean? If it means enjoyment I'm guessing you've got that or you wouldn't be doing it, and that's ultimately the purpose of hobbies. If it means, what do you have to show for it? .... it's a hobby. It's not meant to be productive, then it might feel like work (which has happened with one of my hobbies). Is, say, flower gardening any more productive or "fulfilling"? You can't do anything with them but look at them, and they only live for a season. Still, it's something a lot of people enjoy and no one thinks is weird or a waste of money (and you can spend crazy amounts of money on gardening). But you get the enjoyment of watching something you took care of grow and thrive. Pretty much the same thing with mantids. And they are way more interactive than flowers
I agree with Meagan. I will probably not keep mantids in my son's room when he's home from college because they creep him out a little, and that matters to me. My household family's opinon matters to me, anyone else is just trying to push their values on me.
Sad to say, mothers are rather notorious for that :whistling:
lunarstorm
Well-known member
Lots of good advice already! Some additional ideas:
1) During a random moment (not while she is grumbling), tell your Mom you think the mantid longevity aspect is actually a good thing. Mantid keepers can enjoy their pets without the time committment that other popular pets demand (10-15+ years for dogs, cats, etc.)
2) As mentioned by others, if her concerns are mostly money related, she might have a different perspective if you sold some. Most moms would be shocked and impressed to hear their kid say, "Hey Mom, I was able to sell some mantids recently. Since you bought my original supplies and such, want some money to help with the bills this month?" Also, a single emergency trip to the vet for a dog or cat will often surpass the annual expenses of a mantid hobby.
3) Grin and ask if she'd prefer a son who likes bugs or a son who likes drugs. (joking)
4) Get a copy of Orin McMonigle's book "Praying Mantids Keeping Aliens" and ask her to read the introduction page. It's a great explanation for someone who "doesn't get it."
1) During a random moment (not while she is grumbling), tell your Mom you think the mantid longevity aspect is actually a good thing. Mantid keepers can enjoy their pets without the time committment that other popular pets demand (10-15+ years for dogs, cats, etc.)
2) As mentioned by others, if her concerns are mostly money related, she might have a different perspective if you sold some. Most moms would be shocked and impressed to hear their kid say, "Hey Mom, I was able to sell some mantids recently. Since you bought my original supplies and such, want some money to help with the bills this month?" Also, a single emergency trip to the vet for a dog or cat will often surpass the annual expenses of a mantid hobby.
3) Grin and ask if she'd prefer a son who likes bugs or a son who likes drugs.
(joking)4) Get a copy of Orin McMonigle's book "Praying Mantids Keeping Aliens" and ask her to read the introduction page. It's a great explanation for someone who "doesn't get it."
his profile says he is 41...Lots of good advice already! Some additional ideas:
1) During a random moment (not while she is grumbling), tell your Mom you think the mantid longevity aspect is actually a good thing. Mantid keepers can enjoy their pets without the time committment that other popular pets demand (10-15+ years for dogs, cats, etc.)
2) As mentioned by others, if her concerns are mostly money related, she might have a different perspective if you sold some. Most moms would be shocked and impressed to hear their kid say, "Hey Mom, I was able to sell some mantids recently. Since you bought my original supplies and such, want some money to help with the bills this month?" Also, a single emergency trip to the vet for a dog or cat will often surpass the annual expenses of a mantid hobby.
3) Grin and ask if she'd prefer a son who likes bugs or a son who likes drugs.
4) Get a copy of Orin McMonigle's book "Praying Mantids Keeping Aliens" and ask her to read the introduction page. It's a great explanation for someone who "doesn't get it."
meaganelise9
Well-known member
"Parents just don't undastand!"
lunarstorm
Well-known member
So? It doesn't matter. The advice in this thread generally works for anyone who questions mantid ownership and parents are always going to be parents, regardless of age.
sorry it just sounded like you were shooting for a younger age group. i agree AGE DOESN'T MATER in terms of mantid keeping.
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I am 41 and live at home for reasons that are personal and financial and health related but as long as no one makes fun of my situation or tries to see fault in it then all is fine and I just dont want to have a verbal boxing match or anything as I hate to defend myself so as long as nothing is thrown at me then all will be peaceful and quiet!
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no problem we all understand. times are really though right now. if mantids make you happy than keep at it!
I always say it's better than drugs or drinking or some of the other stuff peeps these days do
angelofdeathzz
Well-known member
If I had listened to every person who thought mantis were dumb and a waste of time, I would have never got my chance to get some Idolo nymphs, raise them to adult, and mate them so others could also enjoy them for the beautiful species they are. And never had gotten the chance to once in a while hear people call me "The Idolo King" which does wonders for my already semi-overstuffed male EGO, lol.
But really it is something I take great pride in doing, and I like the fact that in the end it's made many other people happy as well, so maybe pick a species and pursue it, breed them and then put back into the community, it will make you feel/see it's worth it, and maybe your Mom also, I think anyway?
So do what you want if it makes you happy Paul! Unless it gets to where you need a new place to live over it that is.
But really it is something I take great pride in doing, and I like the fact that in the end it's made many other people happy as well, so maybe pick a species and pursue it, breed them and then put back into the community, it will make you feel/see it's worth it, and maybe your Mom also, I think anyway?
So do what you want if it makes you happy Paul! Unless it gets to where you need a new place to live over it that is.
Mvalenz
Well-known member
there is always going to be people that don't see things the same way you do. If they have an open mind then you have a chance to share with them what makes you happy.
If they don't then just kick them in the teeth and walk away before the police show up.
Just kidding. I do not condone violence.
If they don't then just kick them in the teeth and walk away before the police show up.
Just kidding. I do not condone violence.
