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C

Campfire Girl

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Jan 2, 2011
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Hi Everyone,

I am Susan, from New Jersey. My daughter just had a caccoon hatch out of her christmas tree. I got her to save me 2 of the babies. One died already. No bugs available on New Years Day, so I read on the internet that they will eat raw hamburger. It worked. The next day I went to the petstore and bought small crickets. I put on in with the mantis but it was still too big for it. I killed the cricket hoping the mantis would eat but I dont think he even tasted it. He doesnt look to be interested in his dead brother either. Anyway, does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thanks.

 
  • Campfire Girl said:
    Hi Everyone,
    I am Susan, from New Jersey. My daughter just had a caccoon hatch out of her christmas tree. I got her to save me 2 of the babies. One died already. No bugs available on New Years Day, so I read on the internet that they will eat raw hamburger. It worked. The next day I went to the petstore and bought small crickets. I put on in with the mantis but it was still too big for it. I killed the cricket hoping the mantis would eat but I dont think he even tasted it. He doesnt look to be interested in his dead brother either. Anyway, does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thanks.
    Click to expand...
  • Hi, Susan, and welcome to the forum from sunny Yuma, AZ!
  • So, she is yr grown daughter and she got rid of all the rest? It's great that you have this one to practice on, but his chances of survival are low and your odds of being disappointed are high. Other folks will have other suggestions, but I would say stick with the hamburger and honey on the end of a toothpick until tyou can either buy the small fruit fluies from PetCo (call the store and ask first) or order some. Someone may suggest a web site in your area. I buy from CA because it is close, but you might want to check with MantisPlace in Ohio, you should really make an order today so that they can go out tomorrow, the last day for many such sites to mail out and thus avoid them being stuck in a U.S.P.O. over Sunday.
  • If you really enjoy him, consider setting up properly, housing and food in particular, and talk to someone on the forum who is not too far from you. I don't know if Ismart is selling new born ("L1) nymphs in this weather, but he will give you all the hrelp and encouragement in the world. Good luck!
    And no, I have no idea how I unformat bullets!

 
Go to the pet store and get some mini meal worms. Offer those to him.

If he won't eat them on his own, get a pair of tweezers. Use the tweezers to squeeze the head off one of the meal worms, then wait for the body to stop wiggling (ew, I know). Hold the squishy part of the meal worm under the mantis's mouth parts with the tweezers. He ought to start to nibble on it, and will then reach out and grab it.

Good luck.

 
PhilinYuma said:
  • Hi, Susan, and welcome to the forum from sunny Yuma, AZ!
  • So, she is yr grown daughter and she got rid of all the rest? It's great that you have this one to practice on, but his chances of survival are low and your odds of being disappointed are high. Other folks will have other suggestions, but I would say stick with the hamburger and honey on the end of a toothpick until tyou can either buy the small fruit fluies from PetCo (call the store and ask first) or order some. Someone may suggest a web site in your area. I buy from CA because it is close, but you might want to check with MantisPlace in Ohio, you should really make an order today so that they can go out tomorrow, the last day for many such sites to mail out and thus avoid them being stuck in a U.S.P.O. over Sunday.
  • If you really enjoy him, consider setting up properly, housing and food in particular, and talk to someone on the forum who is not too far from you. I don't know if Ismart is selling new born ("L1) nymphs in this weather, but he will give you all the hrelp and encouragement in the world. Good luck!
    And no, I have no idea how I unformat bullets!
Click to expand...
Yeah, I tried to get her to save me as many as she could, but she was too schkeeved out by them. Thank you for your suggestions. I am getting the meat and honey ready right now. Of course when I want to find them, there are no bugs hanging around my house for me to feed him now. I will order some of those fruit flies. Thanks again.

 
PragmaticHominid said:
Go to the pet store and get some mini meal worms. Offer those to him.

If he won't eat them on his own, get a pair of tweezers. Use the tweezers to squeeze the head off one of the meal worms, then wait for the body to stop wiggling (ew, I know). Hold the squishy part of the meal worm under the mantis's mouth parts with the tweezers. He ought to start to nibble on it, and will then reach out and grab it.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the advise. Can I do that with one of those crickets I bought? Cut a piece off of him and try to give it to the mantis?

 
I should have said - The important part is make sure that the gushy part of the bug's insides (ew again, I know) touches the mantis's mouth. Once he gets a taste of it nature should take over.

 
Welcome. Mantids don't eat dead insects or insects that are not moving. At that stage in his life only the smallest food like fruit flies and pinhead crickets are going to work. YOu can try the meat and honey on the end of a toothpick until you get the right food. You can also squish a cricket and offer the juicy part the same way. Try the large meaty back leg. If it is too big cut it and offer a smaller piece.

 

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