Loving my new Mantises...

Monica2011 · Mar 8, 2011

Hello everyone,

For Christmas, my husband gave me the greatest gift. My first Mantis habitat, he knows me very good! I am in Northern California, so I waited until almost spring to order their egg. Since, I got a baby who eats baby food, I saved up lots of baby food jars, to separate them into their own containers. I thought that I ordered the egg close enough to spring that I would be able to find lots of small bugs for them to eat. But, to my surprise they hatched from the egg 5 days ago. Luckily, I did order a Wingless Fruit Fly culture too as well. So, I got lots in their own containers and lots more in the habitat. As, I have just jumped into this hobby full blown. I am starting my own fruit Fly culture from some of the adult flies that I already got. I don't got enough flies to feed them all, so my 7 year old son and I went out to hunt out bugs for the left over ones in the habitat... we had no luck in finding small enough bugs for them, so we went to our local pet shop and bought some pin=head crickets and they too are too big for my babies. We found some pill=bugs, but my babies don't like them, does anyone have any ideas of what type of outdoor bugs they like to eat? my son also caught a house fly, but it too was too big... also how often should I feed them flies? Thanks for all of your help!

hibiscusmile · Mar 8, 2011

Hello! you only need about a dozen to start your new culture, they each should lay quite a lot of eggs and also, you can set in some vinegar and honey, or an oopen apple in one of your jars or a mayo jar with holes (tiny) for wild fruit flies to get into and use them to, by putting in fridge for few minutes to slow them down and them dump them into the containers. If needing a lot, u can order by express for flies, I have them for sale and so do others on the forum here, but try the containr in the meantime ooutside, if u need a lot, do a few containers, and use some potato medium for some to lay in and start them that way too, but in the meantime, u will have to cut what u find into small peices and use a toothpick to show them it is food and hope they can grab what u offer them, if it is small enough they can and will then eat. good luck! nice to see a mom and her boy sharing such a fun hobby!