Questions about feeding with crickets

[socal_peppermint]

Hi, I keep my mantis in a terrarium which I decorated with branches, plastic foliage and chipped wood at the bottom, and I have decided to change the mantis food from fruit flies to crickets today.

My questions are:

1) since the mantis hangs from the top most of the time and the crickets stay at the bottom all the time, will the mantis ever see or hunt for the crickets?

2) Do crickets climb onto branches?

3) How do you guys feed the crickets to the mantis?

Thanks!!

 

[LauraMG]

Crickets will climb all over the place. Whether or not your mantis will stalk them and eat them, in my experience, depends on the species. I've never been able to get some of more exotic breeds to eat them. Locally caught ones I've never had a problem with though. If your mantis isn't an adult you need to make sure there's not too much stuff in there to prevent a healthy molt also. They require 3 times their length in height for their enclosures. Good luck!

 

[Rick]

Crickets will climb up. The more cage decor you have the more the crickets will hide though. Just another reason I keep bare cages for the most part.

 

[mantisboy]

Crickets will climb up. The more cage decor you have the more the crickets will hide though. Just another reason I keep bare cages for the most part.

I'm quite the newbie but I noticed quickly that if you are going to use crickets, toss a piece of lettuce in the housing. I just happened to be out of lettuce so I put in some strawberry leaves, they seem to like that. Crickets are just plain nasty, they will start feeding on each other if you don't give them something to eat. I like the lettuce, seem to keep them nice and juicy.

 

[MantidLord]

A lot of people do this. But I wouldn't say that crickets are nasty. Even though I've lost a fair share of ooths from crickets, it is nature. I've only witnessed cricket cannibalism as a last resort by crickets. Think of it this way, are humans that different? Lord of the flies anyone? Though I don't feed them lettuce because it doesn't seem to fill them up all the way. I like carrots, plus it turns them orange.

 

[Rick]

I'm quite the newbie but I noticed quickly that if you are going to use crickets, toss a piece of lettuce in the housing. I just happened to be out of lettuce so I put in some strawberry leaves, they seem to like that. Crickets are just plain nasty, they will start feeding on each other if you don't give them something to eat. I like the lettuce, seem to keep them nice and juicy.

I've been keeping crickets for many years now. Mine are fed a varied diet. Never had them eat each other unless one was dying. They're not nasty if cared for properly.

 

[waltzes]

I have heard that if you feed the crickets carrots, they can in turn make the mantis sick. I don't know if that's true or not, but I did read that in my research.

 

[Rick]

I have heard that if you feed the crickets carrots, they can in turn make the mantis sick. I don't know if that's true or not, but I did read that in my research.

Carrots are a poor food for them anyways. A varied diet is best. I have good results with leafy greens and dry dog food.