Nymph - 911!

[lectricblueyes]

Well, after my last few mismolts, everyone suggested 32oz cups. I ordered some that weekend and due to a problem, I have yet to get them in the mail (a week later). Anyway, I got too worried and ran to the grocery store for some 32oz deli cups. (Crummy ones covered in the store logo, and very thin/cheap). While I was transferring all of my little buddies over to the emergency cups, I saw that one was in the middle of a molt. As we speak, this is what he is doing (see picture). What can I do at this point?

 

[lectricblueyes]

5 minutes later...

 

[Katnapper]

Dave, oh so CAREFULLY take the lid off, and suspend it somewhere else with room below for him to hang... now! Try not to let him dislodge and drop. (on top of a taller cup, lid suspended between 2 stacks of books, tall glasses, etc... anything... till he's done.

 

[lectricblueyes]

Dave, oh so CAREFULLY take the lid off, and suspend it somewhere else with room below for him to hang... now! Try not to let him dislodge and drop. (on top of a taller cup, lid suspended between 2 stacks of books, tall glasses, etc... anything... till he's done.

I'm on it!

 

[lectricblueyes]

Dave, oh so CAREFULLY take the lid off, and suspend it somewhere else with room below for him to hang... now! Try not to let him dislodge and drop. (on top of a taller cup, lid suspended between 2 stacks of books, tall glasses, etc... anything... till he's done.

Wait... things are changing, is this a successful molt? SOME if not ALL of his old skin is on the floor... his whole body looks like a very light color and his body is hanging upside down... picture coming... touching the cup made him move... very scared.. he is skittish... picture coming

 

[lectricblueyes]

I think he's good!!! Here is the picture, he's hard to see in the low light and he's a very light color and so is the background! Yay!!!

 

[Katnapper]

Right here waiting... Sounds like he's come out of it.... and he's still hanging on? Good!!!!! Just let him keep hanging undisturbed, overnight if you can! Having ample room now to hang will let him be able to stretch out and harden his new exoskeleton properly. If you'd left him in the short cup, he might have become bent up and deformed. Sounds good right now.... will wait for pic.

 

[lectricblueyes]

I kid you not, he is x3 bigger than he was, cannot believe how much bigger! getting the rest into the deli cups right now as we speak.

 

[Katnapper]

So he's still in the small cup and has room to spare (not much, but some)? That's good!!! I swear... that first pic looked bad... like not enough room! Whew!!! I think he should be fine in the small cup if he's done hanging straight down and has already come out of his skin and gotten a hold of the sponge with room where he's not bent or hitting his head on the bottom. Just leave him be... don't move him or anything until tomorrow (not first thing in the morning... wait until later in the day/evening to give him some more time to not be so fragile). He should be alright to move into a larger cup then.

 

[lectricblueyes]

So he's still in the small cup and has room to spare (not much, but some)? That's good!!!

Nope, got him in a long long deli cup with a mile between him and the ground. He is now stretching WAY down and even unfolded his arms to hang THOSE down too! Whooohoo!! We did it!! SAVED! THANK YOU!!!!!!!

 

[Katnapper]

Nope, got him in a long long deli cup with a mile between him and the ground. He is now stretching WAY down and even unfolded his arms to hang THOSE down too! Whooohoo!! We did it!! SAVED! THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Oh, good grief.... thank goodness!!! I couldn't tell what you were doing in the midst of all the pics & confusion.... but it sounds even better than it did!! GREAT, leave him there to rest overnight. Whew... I'm proud of you!! Good mantis daddy!!!!!! :lol:

Edit: You know the problem with the "stick 'em up" arms held up... with the Shield nymphs? That could have been caused by too short of cup with not enough room to hang arms fully stretched down. You've saved this one.

 

[lectricblueyes]

Oh, good grief.... thank goodness!!! I couldn't tell what you were doing in the midst of all the pics & confusion.... but it sounds even better than it did!! GREAT, leave him there to rest overnight. Whew... I'm proud of you!! Good mantis daddy!!!!!! :lol:

lol sorry about all the confusion! haha I was pretty darn frantic there for about 10 minutes. He's doing fantastic and will be fine. After that, I just FAST-switched ALL of my nymphs into the crumby cups and all of the Peacock mantids are ready to molt. (2 of them actually look like they might molt). So.. safe and sound! I might be a good mantis daddy but I learned from da best mantis momma!! lmao

 

[Katnapper]

I'm so glad all went well, Dave!!! You definitely got those emergency cups right in the nick of time, lol!! Well, I've had my excitement for the day... now I can go to bed, lol.

 

[Rick]

Remember what I said about those short containers? THAT is exactly why I advised to not use them! Luckily he came out ok but he has to be moved now for sure. Height is very important.

 

[Dinora]

Wow!

*grabs popcorn!*

Reading this post was like reading a soap opera!

It has everything!

Drama!

Emergency medical care and advice!

Thank you guys, for sharing this with us!

Seriously, these are the kind of posts that helps people just starting out in this hobby.