Silly question - how long does it take them to die?

[pookergirl]

Hi all, my kids and I caught a wild female Chinese mantis a few months ago, she did really well but in the last 2 weeks really started taking a turn for the worse where it was clear she was going downhill. Two days ago she climbed a bit after not climbing for a few days, but then I found her on her back. I turned her over and she took a few steps and then stayed in the same spot for the last 24 hours not moving at all. I picked her up tonight after seeing her head move a teeny tiny bit. Her legs are folded underneath her and her head is hanging down so low her mouth is sort of resting on her "chest" area. She seems to be breathing hard, I can see her thorax moving, and she just threw up.

We have gotten REALLY attached to this beautiful bug, she was very tame and loved crickets and would go crazy for rotisserie chicken (I know, weird). She laid 2 egg sacs which we moved outdoors (well actually into our garage as we thought the Michigan winters might be too cold).

Anyway, we moved her out of her habitat because there are a couple live crickets in there and I don't want them to bother her and I can't catch them (plus, I'm petrified of crickets), so we moved her into a little "death bed" filled with cottonballs. She has moved her head from side to side a bit (and she threw up). I offered her some water, usually she takes it from my finger or from a spoon but she declined not surprisingly. She also seemed to rear up a couple times like trying to muster strength to do something but all she did was rid herself of some waste out the other end. When she is able to move, she appears to be really shaky and trembling. Argh.

If she's alive tomorrow I'm going to feel absolutely horrible for her. I can't freeze or her or squish her though. Is it normal for this process to take so long? She looks miserable.

 

[hierodula]

You can wrap her up in a towel and let her sit there and hand feed her. She can live her senior years in luxury. The first one is always the hardest, but its the circle of life, and you always have memories and pictures. Their death is a process that takes a week or two, so you can always follow my suggestion and see how she likes it.

 

[Paradoxica]

Sadly very few make it through a whole year.

 

[Rick]

Sounds normal. In the wild this is accelerated by freezing temperatures. The ooths will be fine outside since that is where they would be naturally.