Stick insects as mantis food?

[Peter Clausen]

Our feeder crickets, house flies and fruit flies are not necessarily that healthy themselves, but their health doesn't seem to affect the health of our mantises to any degree that I've ever been able to notice.

Fruit flies eat medium.

Flies often the same.

Who knows what pet store crickets eat (not sure I want to know).

I never feed my roaches meat for fear of starting a harmful bacterial or fungal culture in my home. My roaches get a healthy mix of leftover fruits, vegetables and grains from my dinner table. My phasmids eat between one and three plants, depending on what species they are.

Phasmids are a good supplement for a mantis if you have extras and can get the mantis to show some interest in the phasmid. But (your) time and energy-wise, they are not a good investment as a feeder for mantis.

 

[Birdfly]

Our feeder crickets, house flies and fruit flies are not necessarily that healthy themselves, but their health doesn't seem to affect the health of our mantises to any degree that I've ever been able to notice. Fruit flies eat medium.

Flies often the same.

Who knows what pet store crickets eat (not sure I want to know).

I never feed my roaches meat for fear of starting a harmful bacterial or fungal culture in my home. My roaches get a healthy mix of leftover fruits, vegetables and grains from my dinner table. My phasmids eat between one and three plants, depending on what species they are.

Phasmids are a good supplement for a mantis if you have extras and can get the mantis to show some interest in the phasmid. But (your) time and energy-wise, they are not a good investment as a feeder for mantis.

Hi Peter, I think between them its that we look after these feeders and the fact that we offer at least this variety that makes a difference to our mantids etc, Well looked after crickets (even though we have more of a problem with them in Europe, it seems) are better but not the solution.

I have (within the last 4 months approx) beeen offering my roaches meat (in the form of cat presants, field/house mice, voles etc in small amounts) they are eaten before any thing has a chance to go bad, i also offer lamb bones/bones which are gnawed on.

My roaches hover between moist and dry kept (depending mostly on foods offered as to substsrate miosture levels), small amounts of mold appear but are eaten before they cab build up.

Phasmids, yeah, imo just a good suppliment, not worthy of long term mantid food, best as a suppliment like treats as with other exotic foods, wildies etc... treats if you will, if you have variety is the spice of life and good enrichment, even for an invert predator

 

[Peter Clausen]

Hey, If I didn't have options I might eat phasmids too!

 

[Birdfly]

Well weve seen crickets and mealworms deep fried and dipped in chocolate :lol: