My Praying Mantis laid an ooth on the curtains

[PlayingMantis]

On Sunday, I placed my pregnant (2nd time) T. sinensis on some plants near the windowsill, because she's been lethargic and not eating so I thought a change of scenery would help. I let her free-roam for a little bit. When I got back, I noticed she disappeared, and after a bit of searching, I discovered she was high up in the window curtains, busy laying an ooth. She finished the ooth after a few hours. Now, I can't have an ooth in the curtains because it needs a cold period. I was planning to put it outside with the first ooth.

I wonder if there's someway to remove the ooth without damaging it. Should I just peel it off or use a knife? The "easiest" way would be just to cut out a piece of the curtain that the ooth is attached to, I suppose, but it's best if I don't go around making holes in my folks' curtains...but I don't want to hurt the ooth either!

 

[MandellaMandy123]

I'd give a bit more time to make sure that it is hardened, then just peel it off. Or cut a hole and no one will notice. :lol:

 

[agent A]

if it's on a flimsy curtain, just wait until the ooth hardens (2 or 3 days) then hold the ooth by its sides and peel away the curtain from behind it

 

[aNisip]

if it's on a flimsy curtain, just wait until the ooth hardens (2 or 3 days) then hold the ooth by its sides and peel away the curtain from behind it

Yup

 

[PlayingMantis]

Cool, thanks all! Yep, the curtain fabric is very flimsy. I will wait a couple more days just in case. In the meantime, it looks pretty interesting to have an ooth adorn the otherwise quite boring curtains.

 

[mantiseater]

They don't need a cold period i've hatched many Chinese without a cold period.

 

[Rick]

Give it a week or so to dry and just pull it off.

 

[devetaki9]

Yep. My 40 grand babies arrived without a cool down... Surprise!!

 

[PlayingMantis]

Yeah I once accidentally hatched an ooth in Jan. Bad idea. This time I want to keep the ooths cold for now, for hatching later. I want to wait until spring and release most of them, and keep just a handful to raise for fun. Can't imagine taking care of 100+ babies, lol.

 

[Sticky]

What is it about curtains and bugs? I have found several ooths in mine and once I took a cecropia c aterpillar to a friends house. I wanted to show it off to her. We went out for a walk and when we came back, the caterpillar was winding itself into one of the curtains! There was alot of silk in the fabric so after we left the caterpillar lost no time in getting to the window.

 

[agent A]

What is it about curtains and bugs? I have found several ooths in mine and once I took a cecropia c aterpillar to a friends house. I wanted to show it off to her. We went out for a walk and when we came back, the caterpillar was winding itself into one of the curtains! There was alot of silk in the fabric so after we left the caterpillar lost no time in getting to the window.

i had a hierodula multispina female loose on a curtain and the curtain got tossed in the washer with her still on it

 

[Sticky]

Oh Agent A, sadness!

 

[devetaki9]

Much sadness