Need help with 100+ hatchlings!

[narms72]

Okay so just woke up to find the container swarming with baby's moved them to a larger cage put in large leafs and orange melon (The only food on hand). So what I need help on is food, humidity, and heat. There's a Pet smart down the road that caries wingless fruit flies. Should I get those? Help Please!

 

[hierodula]

Mantids aren't vegetarians, you should be clear with that. You definitely need to get fruit flies form the store.

 

[Malakyoma]

Well the specifics change by species, but try and keep them around 75, with decently high humidity, and give them plenty of fruit flies. They wont eat fruits or vegetables theyre carnivores.

 

[narms72]

Okay thanks but they are definatly all over that melon I will get fruit flie today if I can.

 

[Malakyoma]

Okay thanks but they are definatly all over that melon I will get fruit flie today if I can.

There's 2 reasons to believe they aren't eating any of it. first is they just hatched, takes most mantids at least 24 hours after hatching for their first meal, and some as much as 48 hours.

Second is that they wont eat fruit. MAYBE they're drinking the water off of it, but thats it.

Do they have anything to climb on? maybe they're on the melon just because its the highest point

 

[narms72]

Yes they have some sticks and the leaf that I put in there are massive philidendren leaves I also left there egg sack in there since I think there might stiil be some in there. Also yeah you probly wright about them just drinking off the melon. Thanks by the way!

 

[narms72]

Oh and everything else is much higher than the melon and I would let most of them go in the woods but there's still snow on the ground I wasn't expecting them for another month.

 

[narms72]

Oh no! Just came home to find that like 40 died of melon there all sticky a sad. I delicitly knock them off and there moving so they might not be dead.There's still hope if they do die anyway because most didn't touch the melon. Well now if anyone asks tell them AVOID MELON AT ALL COST!

 

[TheOtherSpecies]

My recommendation for the future is make sure you do your research a prepare well in advance! Good luck to you though