Shedding Issues

[SGcvn69]

My Giant Asian Mantis shed a few days ago, but it looks like she is unable to get rid of the shed completely. Her two hind legs are stuck in the old shed. What do I do?!?!

 

[hibiscusmile]

You can mist them a lot with warm water or set her in some warm water and hope that works, but the legs will not straighten and may in another molt, unless of course it was the last molt.

 

[Rick]

The legs will be messed up. I'd simply pull the skin off or cut it off where it is stuck on the legs. Either way you're going to have a mantis missing its two back legs.

 

[SGcvn69]

:blink: Been misting....nothing so far! Snipping seems so mean!

 

[hibiscusmile]

Well it can drag them along, it wont be happy either way, which is the worst evil? :mellow:

 

[ismart]

Slide the back legs out of the old skin. That is what i usually do when the back legs get caught up. Just try and be as gentile as possible so you don't accidently pull the legs off.

 

[lancaster1313]

I have had that happen, and I got the old skin off by misting the stuck skin and pulling gently. I had a sewing needle out just in case I needed to pry away some tough areas, but I didn't need to use it. That mantis repaired herself perfectly with the next molt, and now 2 molts later, is a beautiful adult. I have also had it go badly with younger nymphs. Like ismart said, do it as gently as possible, those legs can come off easily.

 

[SGcvn69]

Sorry for the delayed response, but I misted her twice a day and she got most of the exoskeleton off. Two hind legs just has a little bit attached. <_<

 

[paddythemic]

I had to pull of my Giant Asian's molt from the two hind legs last night. Below the knee they are bent and appear to be unuseable. I am willing to hand feed her until the next molt.

Question - Does she have to hang by those hind legs for the molt? Is she likely to figure out a way to hang a differently?

Any response is appreciated...

 

[ismart]

It's possible for her to fix her back legs in the next molt. The only problem will be when it come time to molt, she will have a harder time hanging in an upside down position.

 

[ismart]

I have heard some people mentioning taping the back legs to a perch when it's about to molt with mixed results.

 

[paddythemic]

Here is my L5 mismolted Mendica. His legs are all deformed and unuseable. Even his "raptorial arms" are practically unuseable. I artificially perched him on a toothpick with a trace amount of glue.

Is it possible to have this corrected with a molt if I hand feed him?

Or is this a bad idea...

 

[ismart]

I personally would put that poor mantis out of it's misery. You could try and hand feed it and see what happens? Just don't get your hopes to high! I doubt that mantis is even going to last a week in that condition.

 

[paddythemic]

Yeah, he was too far gone. That sucks. (he was an awesome mendica)