I was wondering if meal worms are a good feeder to get through the winter. I know meal worms have a lot of chitin and I read somewhere that this can make it harder for a mantis to molt, is this true, if so would wax worms be a better choice.
Meal worms
- Thread starter Mraw
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@Mraw Sure if your mantis(es) will eat mealworms they have been used by many. I personally never had a single mantis (from the dozens of mantises I had at the time) that would eat a mealworm no matter what I tried (don't bother offering suggestions I tried everything and no longer keep mealworms). 
Waxworms though are too high in fat to be a single/main feeder many suggest, and should be used more as a treat or junk food. Mantises love them, and the wax moths they change into though.
Any single prey/feeder source can be problematic for various reasons (too much of something, or not enough for a mantises diet) and why it's suggested to offer your pets a few different feeders. Personally over the winter months I use crickets, wax moths, and bottle flies (I buy pupae online).
Waxworms though are too high in fat to be a single/main feeder many suggest, and should be used more as a treat or junk food. Mantises love them, and the wax moths they change into though.
Any single prey/feeder source can be problematic for various reasons (too much of something, or not enough for a mantises diet) and why it's suggested to offer your pets a few different feeders. Personally over the winter months I use crickets, wax moths, and bottle flies (I buy pupae online).
crabbypatty
aka Mad Mantis
@Mraw I've had great success with both mealworms and superworms! I offer my mantids the worms with tweezers and place it near their heads so they see them wiggle, they usually grab them after a little while. Another way is I take the mantis out and place him on a table and I'll place the worm on the table as well and the mantis will spot it right away. With my little mantids I'll cut a small worm and offer it to them so they don't struggle with a crazy wiggling worm.
@crabbypatty Yeah that's what I do, I will just cut the head off the meal worm and put it up to them and they usually take it pretty quick.
Digger
Well-known member
@Mraw Same here. I've used meal worms for years in a pinch (got a bunch right now). Have always snipped off the heads first to let the yummy goo exude and bring it up to the mantid's mouth. My first (and most hated) choice is crickets. Just not much else readily available here in the cold States. Flies are terrific, but I just don't have enough mantids to justify a hundred bbs. I don't do roaches, unfortunately.
Same here, I tend to put it off until it is necessary - as no matter the amount of pets I have I never use even half of the smallest amount I can buy before the pupae go bad. I've even tried hatching the excess and feed/water the flies to keep until later, but they don't seem to last much longer either to help in feeding.
I do have an idea that may help any keepers that use pupae over the fall/winter. I'll have to see what I can work out in the up coming weeks.
Ratmosphere
Well-known member
I'll have to try this when my mantis grows up!
The heads are fine left on, they are merely removed to expose the insides to tempt mantids into eating them more readily.
crabbypatty
aka Mad Mantis
@kmjack123 Aww how cute! Is that a Giant Asian? I only cut the heads off if my mantids are scared of the worm or don't know what it is, then they taste the guts and they usually love it.
