Mantids won't eat! Help!

[Wally]

Hi all!

We're newbie mantid owners (only since July) and we have 4 mantids--one Chinese, and three egyptian. They've all gone off their food (wax worms, crickets, mealworms) and we have no houseflies.

They're in the bathroom which is the warmest room in the house. Too Hot? Too Cold? Autumn? Not enough humidity?

Help!!!

Thanks in advance!

Wally

 

[Mantida]

As long as their abdomens aren't paper thin, they should be fine. Sometimes mantids stop eating because they just don't feel like it, because they're already full, or because they're about to molt. When was the last time these guys molted? What instar are they? What do you mean by 'not eating'? Are they not noticing their prey? Or are they striking at it but not catching the prey?

 

[Wally]

Actually, they all just molted about two weeks ago and they all have their wings, which I believe (I'm new at this) means that they've had their last molt. Actually, three of them are Giant Asians, not Egyptians, as I mis-posted before. They don't even seem to be noticing their prey. I had a couple of crickets die on me waiting to be eaten.

I'm used to them being really eager to eat!

 

[Sparky]

Everyone has always worried about this problem. Just wait for about 3 days and try again. Usually when they don't eat I get a toothpick and feed them honey, that usually gets them hungry and they'll start hunting. Giant Asians should be ravenous eaters, if they're not eating then this should NOT be a problem. They could either not be hungry or just don't feel like eating. Like I said, wait about 2 or 3 days and try again.

 

[Rick]

Do you ever just not feel like eating? Well maybe so do mantids. It is unusual for adult females to not be hungry unless they are about to lay eggs.

 

[Sparky]

Do you ever just not feel like eating? Well maybe so do mantids.

exactly