oozing green stuff

[calmspeak]

My Chinese L3 or L4 ( just new to the hobby) seems to have a little bit of green stuff coming out of her side in the area where the wing buds are forming. It looks like a wound but I'm not sure how this would happen. Thanks for all the help you guys. I'm just new to the hobby and learning lots from the forum.

Cheers

 

[Rick]

Can you post a pic? Sometimes when they're getting ready to molt the swollen wings buds have the appearance of oozing when it really isn't.

 

[calmspeak]

Sorry Rick no camera, he's very still today maybe he is moulting.I haven't noticed this with the other bugs when molting, though there is something new everyday. He's such a nice reddish brown with lovely green eyes I hope he's ok. Nothing I can do I guess but sit and wait and see what happens.

cheers

 

[Asa]

What do you feed him?

 

[calmspeak]

the dreaded cricket. I don't think the last cricket he ate bite him, but you never know. I'm in the process of cultivating larger flies so I can feed crickets occasionally only. My adult chinese was raised on bugs from outside, never had a cricket in her life. The size of cricket she would need to eat now eeeww I don't even want to go there. Honestly I have liked bugs all of my life but something about crickets really bother me. You should see the giant horned cricket(I think thats what it's called) at the muesum. Anyways, I hope it's not a cricket bite.It doesn't seem to be oozing as much but still is

 

[Rick]

the dreaded cricket. I don't think the last cricket he ate bite him, but you never know. I'm in the process of cultivating larger flies so I can feed crickets occasionally only. My adult chinese was raised on bugs from outside, never had a cricket in her life. The size of cricket she would need to eat now eeeww I don't even want to go there. Honestly I have liked bugs all of my life but something about crickets really bother me. You should see the giant horned cricket(I think thats what it's called) at the muesum. Anyways, I hope it's not a cricket bite.It doesn't seem to be oozing as much but still is

Nothing wrong with feeding crickets regardless of what you may hear. I use them very often and never have issues.

 

[calmspeak]

Yeah I know Rick. To much could be blamed on the cricket, they can't help it if the're smelly and ugly. If it wasn't for them my mantids would have starved up until now. Anyways, the oozing seems to have stopped looks like a dry spot now. I wonder if it's possible that he could of injured himself on the sticks or the screening in the cage. Time to double check the housing.

 

[Precious]

I did the Chinese ooth and it teaches you everything. It's always something with those guys. Every problem you could have with a mantid, I've had with those hundreds of Chinese nymphs. I hope your guy is ok but if not, you'll recognize it if you encounter it again. :wink:

Oh, I think you and I have the same cricketphobia. Except Idislike them more than I fear them. :evil: Rick is right, though. I rely on them for maybe 50-60 percent of my mantids' diet. I got a "bad" batch once that made my guy puke (eeewww) but he got over it and it hasn't happened again. I don't think pet shops have any rational motivation to sell inferior crix or use inferior food. On the contrary, better food keeps their crix healthy for retail. They eat anything, even each other. I'm new to this but I think varying the mantid's diet might be more advantageous than stressing over the crik diet. Sorry, I digress...