Possible Sick Mantis, Help!

[SpartanRage117]

Ok, I found a mantis and have been keeping it for a few months now, it recently laid and egg case, maybe 2-3 weeks ago, but has now become fat looking and clumsy, this didn't happen when she was getting ready to lay the egg case. I have not changed the amount of crickets used to feed her and she stayed thin before, but is that because she was using the energy for the eggs? I am totally new to mantis raising so I don't know what to do. She used to spend all day clinging to the ceiling of her critter crate only lunging down to snatch up a cricket but now she seems to be weak and lyes on the floor of the container. Is she sick and if so what can I do? Is it her diet? Is it just what happens after mantis females lay eggs? I don't know how much this will help but I found the mantis wild in North California, she is yellow will white spots on the inner forarms, that is the closest description I have to identify her species. Also she is approximatly 2.5-3 inches, if it is the diet what amount of crickets would you recomed and how often, currently I have been buying in batches of 16 and replacing them when they run out because I read that they could eat up to 16 a day but that hasn't been happening. Thank you for any solutions you can give and tips because I intend to keep atleast a few of the nymphs if they hatch. Thank you and reply fast, This could be life or death. If there is no hope tell me how to put her out of her misery humanely.

 

[Rick]

Welcome. Please check out the introductions forum.

It sounds to me like your mantis is simply old and nearing the end of her life. There isn't much you can do for a sick mantis and there sure isn't anything at all you can do about an aging mantis. Sadly they have short life spans.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Rick is right, as long as u continue what u r doing, she will at least go natural.

 

[GreenOasis]

I was just reading this and...forgive me if I misunderstand, but...you're not putting 16 crickets a day in with her, are you? :blink:

Even if she wasn't nearing the end of her life (which she probably is), she could be "run down" from trying to get away from crickets all day! Crickets will nibble on the predator they are intended to feed, if given the opportunity, and I can't see much better opportunity than a mantis who is old & slow. If you wish to prolong her life, you might consider feeding her flies, moths or small roaches...these things won't chew her if she doesn't eat them right away. If she is too old & slow to catch flies, you could try pulling their wings off first. (To find wood roaches near you, just go out anywhere that there will be old, rotting wood & flip it over...catch the fast little brownish-blackish things...if they are too fast for the mantis, pull a few legs off.) She will probably eat just about any bug you can catch for her...no need to buy expensive crickets.

There is also the possibility that you are feeding her TOO much, and she is overweight. Just because they CAN eat up to 15 crickets a day, doesn't mean that they SHOULD! (Imagine eating 15 cheeseburgers a day!) She probably only needs one or two good-sized crickets a day. Try giving her a day off of food & then only offer them one at a time if she seems interested again. If she is not interested in crickets after that...definitely don't try to offer them anymore...they are just going to "pester" her to death & speed up her demise.

Hope that helps!

-Carey Kurtz-

 

[Jesskb]

What Rick said. Unfortunately she's probably just old. At least she's simply dying of old age and you can know you didn't cause it. For your next mantis though, I would agree with GreenOasis and only feed it one cricket at a time, crickets can be evil little buggers in packs. Sorry for your mantis loss, if you're looking for a new one, check out the classifieds here.

 

[dgerndt]

She's just getting old. This is exactly how my mantis, Manny, acts now. I would just recommend babying your mantis and making sure she is comfortable and happy. Hopefully she will still be around for a few months. Sorry for the bad news, but I guess it's better than her being ill.

Also, when/if he gets to the point where she can't move and she's just laying on her back, you CAN put her in the freezer to end it at least sort of humanely.

 

[SpartanRage117]

she seems to actually be getting better in a way, because she laid another ootheca and now seems stronger, BUT she laid there too long and got stuck to it. I detatched the case from the wall of her container but I dont know if there is a safe way to remove it from HER... I also made a new topic for this because its kinda unrealated, just same mantis :/