Open air "enclosures"

[benmoore]

Anyone had any thought into keeping mantids unhoused? I was watching a program on TV once - some insect expert was showing the cameraman through his house and he pointed to one of his many pets... some green mantid sitting on a large plant in the middle of the dining room table. The expert said he keeps him there and feeds him with tweezers every now and again.

Thoughts?

 

[ddvw123abc]

Ive thought of that but my little brother smashes insects(i had a nymph out and he tried stepping on it) and then think about this. Your sister wakes you up screaming with a mantis on her lol but its up to you.

 

[Asa]

If you had plenty to spare, and had your own house, I don't see why not.

 

[edash]

Adult females are very unlikely to move from a plant as long as you keep the food supply up.

Just gotta watch for the cat

 

[benmoore]

Adult females are very unlikely to move from a plant as long as you keep the food supply up.Just gotta watch for the cat

Hmmm...

This is going to happen in the summer xD

 

[athicks]

Well, it would look really cool! But you would have to get consent from your wife/parents first! haha, and imagine how hysterical they would be if one day the mantid was not on the plant!

 

[Asa]

I would probably be weirded out by having a mantid in my shower...

 

[OGIGA]

I prefer to have mantises unhoused. However, I'm scared I'll smash them accidentally. And feeding them would be a pain.

 

[randyardvark]

small nymphs and adult males will run about everywhere, feeding can be an issue also, had some success keeping adult females freerange for short period of time, but you always have to carefull when opening doors/with children/other pets also if you are keeping more than one there may be a possibility of cannabalism

 

[Asa]

Well if you wanted to feed them without any effort, you could let fruitflies loose all over your house :lol: .

 

[randyardvark]

that happens even if you keep them in containers...trust me and the crickets...

 

[Asa]

Never had any fruit flies or crickets escape yet .

 

[yen_saw]

THat's amazing feat asa, there are always a few flies escape during feeding time for me. Obviously, letting mantis roaming around the house is a luxury i don't have

 

[randyardvark]

crickets started appearing next door.... not many people were happy about that

 

[athicks]

hahaha

Yeah, I remember when I was a kid, I had an anole, and his crickets ALWAYS escaped the cage. Now, I keep my crickets in a terrarium that is way too high for them to jump up. None have escaped yet!

 

[Asa]

THat's amazing feat asa, there are always a few flies escape during feeding time for me. Obviously, letting mantis roaming around the house is a luxury i don't have

I kinda' cheated. Any that would have escaped get crushed.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I keep about 50 chinese outside in the garden as well as about 20 in culture indoors.

I can almost always find most of the outside ones as they stay in the same place with little exception.

I have not tried "trusting" the ghosts or africans but had so many chinese this year...the risk was not high.

By the way I am newly registered but have been reading the forum for a couple months.

-Brad

 

[Asa]

Hey Brad! You might want to post in the intro forum...