i took a adult female mantis inside on a cold november morning while she clung to my patio chair. she has been inside ever since in a plastic tub 8"X12" with coco noir as substrate. i am new to this so i didnt know how else to set her up.i put some sticks from outside and a twig of a bush she lived in. she is in room temp and i have a paper cup cut down with some water in it for humidity and for her to drink(?) i used to spray the substrate but it got mold on it. i give her one cricket every couple of days and i am feeding the crickets potatoes. the other day i noticed my mantis slowing down. she was on the ground and her wing tip was a bit bent. she had some substrate on her .next thing i know i hear her falling from the top of the cage(she never could get a footing on the plastic top) well she feel once and i looked and she was on the ground sideways hardly moving. i thought she was dying. well i had a cricket in there with her and i immediatley took it out so she could die in peace without the cricket knawing at her. well the next morning i was afraid to look to see if she was dead on the ground but she was on one stick with white foam coming out of her butt. i think she layed eggs! she was there for a while and i let her be. well by afternoon she moved away and i put a cricket in there. i dont know if the cricket will eat the egg sac but i thought shed be hungrey since she hasnt eatten in days. i sprayed her face with spring water and let her be. she ate the cricket and i think wanted another. i left her alone until tomorrow. but my question is , is she going to die now? is the egg sac safe if i put crickets in there. she doesnt seem to like meal worms and they get lost in her tub. can i put the egg sac outside now or wait till spring. will it hatch inside her tub? i am not familiar with any of this so forgive me , i just want some help. thanks
newbie with problem
- Thread starter sevenoaks
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She should be fine if she is not to old, she needs to be misted every day with some water, warm very warm water. she also needs a couple crickets every day to eat, she is not eating enought, make sure she eats them, and take them away after awhile if she doesnt. the ooth will hatch in 6 weeks or so, keep it inside and have fun waiting for them, put it in a mayo jar with some cloth and a rubber band for the lid, glue it to a stick and stick it in there, be careful to not use high heat if u use a glue gun. sorry if I am out of order witht he directions, just trying to type fast. spray the ooth a few times a week and it will hatch.
is it ok to give her only crickets? i tried mealworms and she didnt eat/find them in her cage. is it ok to spray her with tap water. ive read it has to be spring water? my mantis has been alone since november as far as i know. is her ooph fertile? how will i know? when do i realease the babies if they hatch ?.why cant i leave them on the stick they are on(stuck on a stick pretty well) and not glue them? i dont understand that.
ive read her belly can burst if i feed to much . that is why i didnt give too many crickets.
i need help . thank you.
p.s. i just ordered stuff from your website, great site! i learned alot. just not sure the ooph is fertile at this point.
she is a Chinese mantis. i live in new york. she is green and brown
ive read her belly can burst if i feed to much . that is why i didnt give too many crickets.
i need help . thank you.
p.s. i just ordered stuff from your website, great site! i learned alot. just not sure the ooph is fertile at this point.
she is a Chinese mantis. i live in new york. she is green and brown
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MantidLord
Well-known member
Congratulations. Since you caught her as an adult, she's probably fertile. And yes, take the ooth out of the container. Crix will eat ooths! Determining what species you have could help in advising the best conditions for the ooth. But seeing as how you found the mother outside, it's safe to place the ooth outside where it will hatch later on in the wild. But if you do want to keep some nymphs, follow hibiscumile's advice in hanging the ooths. You can put the ooths in a container outside, place them in the fridge or keep them in your room. Good luck.
The mantis is likely at the end of its life and will die from old age before too long. Mist the insides of the enclosure once a day lightly. You don't need a dish of water or even a substrate. Any ooths laid are most likely fertile since it is a wild caught mantis.
Also, please introduce yourself in the introductions forum.
Also, please introduce yourself in the introductions forum.
ok i just bought a bunch of stuff for the babies but i really dont want to care for them as i dont feel comfortable. i will keep the ooth inside the house and mist it with warm spring water until when? when do i put it outside. will it hatch inside in six weeks as i read? i just feel bad putting it outside in the freezing snow. should i put it outside now. its been three days since she layed it.
she looks really skinny now. she used to have a belly and that is why i didnt feed her lots of crickets. i will feed her a cricket daily from now on. will she make it till spring? thanks.
she looks really skinny now. she used to have a belly and that is why i didnt feed her lots of crickets. i will feed her a cricket daily from now on. will she make it till spring? thanks.
MantidLord
Well-known member
No, she'll probably pass within the next few weeks. Chances are this isn't the first ooth she's layed. You could put the ooth outside (because that's what would happen naturally), or you can do what everyone else said and keep it indoors or put it in your fridge. Once spring comes you can place it outside like normal or hatch it yourself and release the nymphs. Can you describe how the female looks?
If ooth is on a stick it is fine on it. If u put it outside, don't mist it, it will be ok like it is. ps, it wont hatch until spring if u put it outside, but this is a good chance for you to learn about them first hand if u keep it inside to hatch it.
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she keeps falling off the sides and i hope she isnt hurting herself. she had a huge belly before she layed and now its pretty flat. i put another cricket in the tub today and she hasnt eatten it. i dont know what else to do for her. she is in room temp. should i put a heat light on part of the tub? she lost an anteanea and one of the middle back feet and the end of the stub looks black. she ate a cricket yesterday but not for three days before because i didnt know to feed her daily. how long do you think she has?
MantidLord
Well-known member
Yeah, this is typical behavior for aging mantids. They're "feet" seem to deteriorate and/or fall off and they just seem like they're, well, dying. Sorry, but there's nothing you can really do for her. I'd take the cricket out so she can die in piece. You could try to release her so she can die in the wild or even try the "freezer method" that other members (excluding me) use. Considering the time period (January), she's lived a very long life. Hopefully the ooth she layed was fertile and most likely that wasn't her first.she keeps falling off the sides and i hope she isnt hurting herself. she had a huge belly before she layed and now its pretty flat. i put another cricket in the tub today and she hasnt eatten it. i dont know what else to do for her. she is in room temp. should i put a heat light on part of the tub? she lost an anteanea and one of the middle back feet and the end of the stub looks black. she ate a cricket yesterday but not for three days before because i didnt know to feed her daily. how long do you think she has?
After looking at the pic, I looks like a Chinese. The ooth should hatch anywhere from 50-200 nymphs (correct me someone if I'm wrong). they typically die out at this time, so don't feel bad.
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thank you so much for all the help / replies for my friend. i think she ate the cricket as i cant find it in the tub with her. i will continue to spray her with warm water daily and keep feeding her and making sure she eats. if she doesnt in one day ill take the cricket out so it wont eat her! i would never put her outside now. its freezing and i would rather her die in her home where its warm and comfy. shes been living in it since novemeber and she hasnt tried to get out like she did in the begining. she must like it in there. i am hoping i can care for the babies that she left me...
MantidLord
Well-known member
Wait a minute: you've had her since November and she just layed an ooth? That sounds a bit weird, especially now that she's passing away soon afterward. I'm not sure of the intervals between ooth laying for this sp., but that sounds a bit long.
i dont know but i know its a Chinese Mantis from what i have been seeing in pictures on the internet. i am new to all of this so i just want to give her the best care. she was found in the wild on a cold november morning and i scooped her up and brought her in. i dont know why she layed an ooth. does anyone know why this sounds weird? thanks
No and you don't need to worry about it. New people to this hobby tend to worry far to much. Browse the posts here and learn what you can.
ok thanks. i just want to do the best for her in her last days here.
i will try to hatch the ooth . i decided not to put it outside. i bought a tub and stuff made especially for nymphs but i am sure i will be asking tons of questions. sorry. i am trying to read as much as i can. i get mixed messages sometimes. i take what you say to heart.
if it is fertile it will hatch in 6 weeks? i will spray the ooth twice a day with warm water. should i put it in the sun anytime of day as it comes into the windows here.?
when they hatch , i will feed them little fruit flys i can buy in my pet store i saw today. any other car i should know about for nymphs. oh yea, i should spray them once a day with warm water too. will there be dead ones to clean out? how many fruit flies should i put in first? i will have the nymphs in their own container made for them. i want them to survive so i can put them outside (when>???) thanks again. sorry im just very nervous
i will try to hatch the ooth . i decided not to put it outside. i bought a tub and stuff made especially for nymphs but i am sure i will be asking tons of questions. sorry. i am trying to read as much as i can. i get mixed messages sometimes. i take what you say to heart.
if it is fertile it will hatch in 6 weeks? i will spray the ooth twice a day with warm water. should i put it in the sun anytime of day as it comes into the windows here.?
when they hatch , i will feed them little fruit flys i can buy in my pet store i saw today. any other car i should know about for nymphs. oh yea, i should spray them once a day with warm water too. will there be dead ones to clean out? how many fruit flies should i put in first? i will have the nymphs in their own container made for them. i want them to survive so i can put them outside (when>???) thanks again. sorry im just very nervous
MantidLord
Well-known member
Good catch Rick. I didn't see that there was a "dramatic" difference in the amount of food he gave his pregnant mantis (even though he was unaware) and the amount of food most of us give expecting females.
Don't worry sevenoaks, there's still a good chance that it is fertile. And yeah, go ahead and browse some old threads that will give you plenty of info.
As far as why she laid an ooth, I'm sure you can imagine the answer 
