Nymph food

[Woodbox]

I was doing some reading online on one of my favorite pet store websites and came across a neat article that suggests nymphs do well on cat food.

Cat FOOD

Has anybody tried this? Sounds convenient to do to get them to size up to small cricket/mealworm size.

 

[MantidLord]

I've never tried this, and don't think I will. I know fresh nymphs are very skiddish so you'd need a lot patience to hand feed them at this age. Not to mention it might be easier to just dump a bunch of fruit flies in the container (which are not hard to find/buy). Interesting article though.

 

[PhilinYuma]

I was doing some reading online on one of my favorite pet store websites and came across a neat article that suggests nymphs do well on cat food.

Cat FOOD

Has anybody tried this? Sounds convenient to do to get them to size up to small cricket/mealworm size.

Give it a try and let us know. Until you prove me wrong, I think that this is one of the most stupid and misleading articles I have read in a while. How are you going to get a paper clip tip to penetrate a piece of cat food small enough to feed a L1-2 nymph? How are you going to feed, say, 30 nymphs like this twice a day?

 

[Rick]

Good luck with that one. Don't believe everything you read. It is obvious the writer of that article has no clue what they're talking about.

 

[massaman]

fruit flies or crickets or other feeder insects would be way better then trying something like that which is beyond the scope of the norm for feeding mantis nymphs!

 

[ismart]

Thats way to much extra work right there. Whats next? Dog food? :lol:

 

[Woodbox]

I plan to. The ootheca I found must have been empty. Im going to buy one early May from Amazon or somebody here. I have fruit flies going but Ill try paperclip cat food too.

I have read in a while. How are you going to get a paper clip tip to penetrate a piece of cat food small enough to feed a L1-2 nymph?

I dont think he was trying to pierce a piece. It looked wet so he probably just dipped it in the cat food gravy and it a tidbit got stuck, all the better.

Yea, I cant see this working for more then a handful of nymphs.

What is the ratio of males to females in an ootheca? I will probably get a Chinese or Carolina ootheca. (crosses fingers for 50/50)

 

[massaman]

ratio varies not sure but some ooths can have more females then males or vice versa or less of one sex then another!

 

[Rick]

Forget this catfood on a paper clip mess. Has to be one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard. If you have the flies you're set.

 

[massaman]

the catfood would be best used if a mantis refuses to eat and is a adult perhaps but its never going to keep nymphs alive and just scrap the idea and use pinhead crickets and fruit flies if you want the nymphs to live a long time!

 

[Chief Tom]

Where can I buy fruit flies? My ootheca just hatched! How much time do I have?