Losing my favorite girl :(

[Chivalry]

My lobata female is dying I've had a few unexplained deaths lately, and I'm wondering if it's the crickets. Several of their abdomens looked wrong, they got weak, and died.

She won't take water or honey, and I'm not sure what else I can do for her other than keep her comfortable and see if she pulls through, but I doubt she will. I just got a male, too. I'm putting in a pic of the way her abdomen looks... overstuffed, dark spot, and there's hardly any stool in her container.

Should I switch to roaches or something? Flies? Or is this something else entirely?

 

[agent A]

probably an infection

i'd clean out the cage well, keep her hydrated, and dont feed again until she regains strength

i could trade u some L2s for acrosternum nymphs...

 

[MandellaMandy123]

They all looked like this before they died? I'd try feeding something else perhaps, she could have gotten an infection from her food.

 

[Crazy4mantis]

maybe poop stuck in the abdomen because of an infection? it happens to L1s

 

[Mirk]

sad to hear. sounds like an infection. I hope the problem doesn't continue

I have a theory but nothing to back it up. I am just wondering if she might have over fed and then possibly have an internal organ tear from the pressure, and cause internal bleeding and/or infection. Just a thought

And I hate to ask but how is she doing now?

 

[Chivalry]

I lost her that same day. Yeah, I'm not sure exactly what the issue is but several seem to be getting abdominal infection/blockage, lack of stool, abdomen looks odd, pretty quick death by the time I realize something is wrong.

The only thing I can think of to blame is the pet store crickets. I keep them and feed them my food for a few days before feeding them to the mantids but still... My fly-fed mantids have no problems. Gonna try roaches for the bigger guys, I think.

I may try ordering crix online if someone has a recommendation where to get them that they trust.

 

[agent A]

Lobster roaches r great for lobata

L1 lobata can eat newborn lobster roaches without issue...

 

[hibiscusmile]

So hard to tell what is wrong when they get like this.

 

[SilentDeviL]

Ya so sad to hear this I lost one of my Hierodula bipapilla adult male ... After mating i feed him wild caught butterfly and Moth in the park . After a day the male got so weak he clulden't even climb and hold him self ...no black water came out him mouth ... not sure if he was poison from the wild insect ... so to see a male go like this ... but luckly he mated once before this happend ...