Mantis Throwing up

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J

Jolt

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I notices a few drips of brown dried liquid today on the side of one of my mantids cages. I thought it might be feces or something, so I didnt think twice about it. Just a few minutes ago I was handeling him in my hand and he proceded to throw up all over my arm......it was pretty unpleasant. The puke is brown......it looks just like what a grasshopper would puke out when you handle one. Does anyone know what the problem may be? I know overeating can cause this, but to my knowledge he hasnt been overeating. Also, I now a sick feeder insect can cause this.....I catch most of my food outside. i dont buy crickets unless its winter. Anyone have any info on a puking mantis?

 
Hi Jolt,

How high is the humidity in the enclosure? If it's quite high you might try and reduce it a little and see if that helps, i've also seen the 'brown streaks' on enclosures before and after being advised to ventilate more and slightly less humidity, the problem hasn't come back (*fingers crossed*).

Dave

 
well, its highly ventilated. I dont know about the humidity. I Mist it about 1 time a day....Should I try and not mist it so much?

 
Hello,

It is not the humidity. They are going to a threat position.

 
Not sure what can cause it but I have had that problem but only with one species. Mantids don't throw up when in a threat posture from what I have seen.

 
Not sure what can cause it but I have had that problem but only with one species. Mantids don't throw up when in a threat posture from what I have seen.
Click to expand...
I never said they throw up when in a threat position for all i know mantids don't throw up.

 
The thread is about his mantis throwing up.

 
Hello,

All I said is probably mantids dont trow up , but you are getting so huffy about it so looks like you need to calm down.

 
Mantids do throw up.

As for the humidity - perhaps it is irrelevant to the vomiting? I always stop feeding them, sterilize the container and increase the humidity and sprayings and this works for me. It may well be species dependent, and of course, cause dependent.

Since you are feeding WC insects, its pretty likely one of them ate something that doesnt agree with your mantid. Try to only feed him things like moths for a few days, they dont seem to be as reactive as other insects.

 
Ok........he just ate a fly without any trouble....He hasnt throw it up yet, and I am hoping he doesnt. If he does, then I will try to change his feeding habits.

 
Mantids always die for no reason. What did you feed him? Sorry to hear that.

 
My female orchid mantis has been throwing up a lot and its smells incredibly rotten, i nearly trew up smelling it :( . what could cause this? it seems like the food its eating is rottin inside its stomach. :( I've also notice that all my mantid's jars r sorta smelly too, i clean them every day, but i mgiht be the flies i'm feeding them, since i go outside and catch them.

Joe

 
I'm so sorry Joe, but It might be the food you give them. Try to give them healthy food like gutloaded crickets or mealworms. Also it might be the humidity since these species need a lot of humidity.

 
i have the humididty very high, but yea it just might be the food im feeding(wild flies & moths) but i dont get why it smells really rotten, no oher mantis i had had this smell in their throw up.

Joe

 
Joe it definitely sounds like the food you've been giving them.

The only thing I can suggest is changing their diet to commercial bought feeders, where there is a higher chance that the feeders haven't been munching on anything contaminated -- meaning make sure you buy them from a reliable feeder breeder. Use a good gutload to make them plain and nutritious, and I'd recommend staying away from giving the feeders fruit. There's some speculation as to whether or not fruit will make mantids sick.

 
i havent been doing any of that lol, the wild flies and insects i give my mantids r all, and crickets & roaches, it seems like the wild insects make my mantids grow bigger lol my sub male ghost is 2 inches and as lond as my adult male ghost. but i should try guttload and stuf tho

Joe

 
If you aren't gut loading the feeders, then it's very possible that the wild caught ones will make your mantids bigger, especially if you're feeding big ol' fat wild caught insects to your mantids.

With commercial and store bought feeders, they often don't eat anything during transit from breeder to buyer. In some cases, pet stores don't feed their feeders as well, so you're getting twice starved feeders.

And skinny feeders make skinny mantids. :lol:

Leah linked us to a gut load that she swears over her mother's grave by. You can find it in the classified section.

 

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