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MantisGirl13 said:
Fruit flies can be good food for nymphs like that.
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Yeah, mantis 2 ate directly the fruitflies. Mantis1 not yet I hope. They molted last night. Mantis1 abdomen is very flat, it needs to eat. hope hunger feeling

will come and dinner is ready.

kwright said:
I heard somewhere that water gel may have chemicals in it that, given too frequently could be bad for the feeder bugs. I wonder also if maybe there is mold in your water gel? Or in the feeder food? 
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oh? thought that was safe to give to feeders?. so they don't drown in water? It looks clear, The food i opend a few weeks ago in vacation. Looks normal too..

 
Little Mantis said:
oh? thought that was safe to give to feeders?. so they don't drown in water? It looks clear, The food i opend a few weeks ago in vacation. Looks normal too..
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I have heard, although have not experienced as I don't use the water gel that it can expand in the mantids digestive track and cause death. 

I just mist the cricket cage lightly or would use a sponge with water.

 
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That is interesting. I think you should try to not use the water gel and see what happens. Hopefully that is the problem! I am glad #2 is eating, and I hope that #1 eats soon!

- MantisGirl13

 
@Prayingmantisqueen @MantisGirl13

I saw #1 eating  1 fruittfly.. It got at least something inside it's belly. hope it eats more fruitfflies. But seems not a big eater..

I removed the watergel and gave a piece of sponge with water in it. I don't have crickets at the moment I have bought baby grasshoppers for Cleopatra. it is weird i have ben been using water gel for feeders at least a half year. But i am still wondering if the blue bottle flies will still hatch. There is more meat on them.

 
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Little Mantis said:
I removed the watergel and gave a piece of sponge with water in it. 
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I would change the sponge out regularly. Not clean, but change. And is it a regular kitchen sponge or a sea sponge? Kitchen sponges can have dyes that will make your insects sick and sponges themselves are notorious for holding bacteria and mold when left wet.

 
Prayingmantisqueen said:
I have heard, although have not experienced as I don't use the water gel that it can expand in the mantids digestive track and cause death. 

I just mist the cricket cage lightly or would use a sponge with water.
Click to expand...
It would need to be a sponge that is natural or has no dyes in it. Replace frequently like kwright mentioned.

 
I feel bad?, I lost Cleo to this sickness. Cleo ignored the fruitflies, they were too small for her. Somehow the other 2 seems not affected. I am happy for that but I still fear for them too. Could it be the feeders like cickets and grasshopper disease what infects the mantids too? or maybe their food, but he feeders were eating it since i have them.

The little ones are only eating fruitflies and they are fine. My bluebottle flies didnt hatch, don't know how long that takes. Maybe my fridge is too cold. I bought that for them to start with.... even the little L4s ate them with ease.

*sighs*

 
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She was .I wanted her to grow up and getting her wings....I loved her looks, her purple eyes and her patterns on her body. she was great.

 
Yeah, I hope I can find out whitout losing more mantis lives.

update:

For now the little hierodulas are fine. they are eating fine. I saw them eating fruitflies. (That makes me happy.) It is not something airborn, I think. It has to do with feeders, or the food/drink they were given. I stopped with water gel. Think i need to trow it everthing away and start with fresh food for the feeders.  I still have baby grasshoppers, they seem doing fine. no deaths the last couple of days.

 
oh yeah they are, it is a smaller hierdoula species. I didnt want the H. membranaceas yet because of Cochise and Bob. I am very happy they are doing fine.  I hope that with trowing old stuff away and buying everything new: (feeders, food for them) will stop the sickness.

Leyra likes to explore too like Cochise. Running out of her cup when I open it to feed her?. She is too small to roam around my desk like Cochise did. Atyeo is calm. He stayed on his fakeflower. new pics of them in their topic ;)

 
Yeah. :)  Leyra sounds a lot like Cochise, except for the species of course.

- MantisGirl13

 

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