Regular Diet Choices

[Digger]

I have relied almost soley on PetSmart crickets to feed Nikki Mantis (female Chinese). Occasionally, I've tried store bought meal worms and super worms. But she munches a little bit of either, throws it on the deck and yells, "FEH" ! During late summer and fall she got moths, which of course, she loved. But now the Pennsylvania cold negates moth catches. What do you use for feeders other than crix? Inquiring minds want to know!

Digger

 

[Danny.]

No flies around here due to the cold weather. It's been Dubia roaches and Crix on this side. I get my crix from the pet store, the ones from petco smell horrible.

 

[Digger]

I agree Danny, Petco certainly doesn't teach crickets proper hygene or manners. But it's convenient for me. They don't carry roaches. Since I only keep one mantis at the moment, I have to buy very small batches of feeders at a time.

 

[Malakyoma]

Recently I've decided to ditch crickets altogether. They smell, and they can make mantids sick. I have a drawer for each mealworms, their beetles, superworms, and superworm beetles. My majusculas and marbleds love beetles, but the griffins prefer worms. Sometimes it takes a little convincing, but they always take it.

 

[Digger]

Mal, I too would love to get rid of the crix. But Nikki won't eat mealworms or supers. Strange, but true.

 

[Malakyoma]

Mal, I too would love to get rid of the crix. But Nikki won't eat mealworms or supers. Strange, but true.

try hand feeding her. or cutting the worm in half and putting the gooey end to her mouth like its honey. she'll grow a taste for it

 

[Danny.]

Mal, I too would love to get rid of the crix. But Nikki won't eat mealworms or supers. Strange, but true.

Same here Digger, flies are scarce at the moment hence the only reason I'm feeding crix.

But come spring/summertime food variety is awesome.

 

[twolfe]

I order 1,000 - 1,500 blue bottle spikes/pupae every 3 - 4 weeks. In the winter that is the primary diet for my older nymphs and adults. It's why it's expensive for me to raise too many large species at one time in the winter. I raise my own darkling beetles and offer them once or twice a week to some in the larvae (mealworm stage) and occasionally in the beetle stage to a few species. In the summer, I catch a variety of wild insects. I know many species I raise thrive with the variety of wild insects in the summer.

 

[garin33]

When you have one mantis, that's always a tough one to deal with during the winter. When you have a lot of mantids, you don't mind purchasing fly pupae, etc online or you can be like Patrick and breed your own feeders. I think Patrick breeds about 100 different type of feeders now, haha.

There are places that sell fly pupae pretty cheap. Rebecca sells 100 fly pupae for only $3. However, it's the shipping that cost more than the pupae. Maybe you can find some place online that is almost local so shipping would be cheap. If shipping was around $5 (priority mail) and it was only $3 for fly pupae, it would probably be worth it during the winter. The only negative with fly pupae is that you can't keep it too long in the frig or else the hatch rate will go down. I have heard about 2 weeks max? I am no fly expert and so maybe others can make suggestions regarding places that will sell small quantities of fly pupae and the shipping is cheap. Also, how long you can refrig the pupae before hatch rates start to drop.

 

[garin33]

Hey Digger,

I just checked on mantidpets.com and 100 fly pupae with shipping is only 9.50 and I think they are located in Ohio so you should get it pretty quick. This would probably be a month supply for you so that's pretty good. (but once again, I'm not sure if they will live that long)

Just my thoughts. Anyone else have a better source?

 

[Mvalenz]

I get fly pupae from Rebecca too when I need them. I feed red runner roaches and crix at the moment.

 

[Sticky]

I also get feeders from Rebecca's. I buy supers, fly pupae and have changed to dubias. I am starting a colony in a big tote. My little mantids like them a lot and as a plus they don't bite. Superworms can bite. It takes practice for my bigger girls to learn to handle them.

 

[Malakyoma]

I also get feeders from Rebecca's. I buy supers, fly pupae and have changed to dubias. I am starting a colony in a big tote. My little mantids like them a lot and as a plus they don't bite. Superworms can bite. It takes practice for my bigger girls to learn to handle them.

earwigs can pinch too. I always though they were for show, but I guess not. Had to cut off the pinchers before my majuscula ate one.

 

[Rick]

Bluebottle flies

 

[sally]

i don't care for the bbflies, but i guess i will have to put up with them to feed my orchid alice. to date she has not eaten one but i keep offering it to her.prob L5 she is now eating the wingless fruitflies but dipped in a little honey. i still can't get her to eat the bbflies.