@CosbyArt Ugh roaches :wacko: I tired to convince myself that the green ones would be better lol. Thanks for the heads up on roaches & the FL law. I didn't even think of that. As always you are wealth of information. I can do crickets, but I thought I was read that feeding crickets too often can problems with the mantids?
I did too with the Banana roaches, thinking I could sneak them into my house without my wife knowing (she will not have roaches in the house). After I looked more into them I quickly realized it was a bad idea.
Roaches in Florida is likely the only time I have seen firsthand evidence of someone being arrested for insects, and the person was given two felony charges and a first-degree misdemeanor .
See here for the news article.
Crickets get a bad rap as they are so commonly available, and usually not properly cared for as it is cheaper to replace dead crickets than to care for them. Crickets usually cost $0.01-$0.12 each depending on seller/quantity, with larger stores able to buy stock at prices of several for a single penny. Due to crickets
much larger use (and mistreatment) than roaches, more "horror" stories are found online. I know the dozen or so pet stores (local and chain stores) I've visited not a single one sold roaches, but all sold crickets. I mention that merely as the amount of people feeding crickets vs roaches must be ridiculously huge.
One issue to the bad cricket stories, is no mantids or crickets are expertly examined or tested (bacteria culture, autopsy, etc.) to reveal the cause of any death/illness, with the most obvious blame placed on the cricket feeder. In most instances it can safely be assumed husbandry care with the mantid, or the cricket itself, was the actual cause with the cricket stories. I say that because even if the cricket was the means of death/illness that is likely due to the husbandry care the cricket received to develop the issue.
Crickets are also farm-raised for human consumption (roaches are not, which says something), and toted by many as the food that may end world food shortage and hunger, see
NewYorkPost,
CBC (Canada), and the
DailyMail.UK for just a few aspects. I mention that as many people and stories online claim crickets are dirtier than roaches with bacteria, disease, and other concerns.
In feeding mantids many keepers have used crickets for years without incident (or possibly few, as will happen with anything). I have used them myself for over three years now to feed hundreds of mantids I've kept (not counting the many thousands of mantids I've raised then released or sold) with only one instance did I blame a cricket, and honestly I highly doubt it was the cause.
Most keepers in the exotic pet hobby have used crickets for many years as well without issue, as I have heard and read from several; however, finding a forum post is nearly impossible it seems after 30+ minutes. I did though find this one...
