Mystymantis
Well-known member
My Chinese females have started laying ootheca. And I want to make sure I store them the best I can this year. They keep failing to hatch in the Spring...
For some reason my Chinese Ootheca keep drying out over the winter. I only had one Chinese ootheca fully hatch this spring. After determining that the ootheca were not going to hatch, it was way past normal hatching time, I opened them up and they were all dried out. For some reason all of my Chinese egg cases keep drying out. Even though all winter I sprayed them about once a week. They were stored in the garage and also some were in the vegetable drawer in my refrigerator. All perfectly normal places to store them. I honestly don't know what I am doing wrong or why they keep completely drying out and never hatching.
How or what is the best way to store and overwinter Chinese mantis ootheca? Since my females this year have started laying ootheca I want to make sure I start off storing them the best way.
Would putting them outside in a greenhouse be a viable option? Though I would be worried about the increased heat in a greenhouse.
I have tried putting them outside stringed to plants and in the garden but squirrels decided they were tasty and ate most of them when I did it that way. Is the garage just a bad place? And I have read that the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator is a good place yet still they didn't hatch. Am I not spraying them enough? What type of container should they be stored in? I had them in a variety of containers, namely 32 oz cups, critter keepers, and small cups with paper towel tops.
If outside is the best way how would one go about putting them out there and protecting them from furry creatures and parasites and the like?
If indoors is best what is that best method? It is still warm outside so where and how should I store them for now?
For some reason my Chinese Ootheca keep drying out over the winter. I only had one Chinese ootheca fully hatch this spring. After determining that the ootheca were not going to hatch, it was way past normal hatching time, I opened them up and they were all dried out. For some reason all of my Chinese egg cases keep drying out. Even though all winter I sprayed them about once a week. They were stored in the garage and also some were in the vegetable drawer in my refrigerator. All perfectly normal places to store them. I honestly don't know what I am doing wrong or why they keep completely drying out and never hatching.
How or what is the best way to store and overwinter Chinese mantis ootheca? Since my females this year have started laying ootheca I want to make sure I start off storing them the best way.
Would putting them outside in a greenhouse be a viable option? Though I would be worried about the increased heat in a greenhouse.
I have tried putting them outside stringed to plants and in the garden but squirrels decided they were tasty and ate most of them when I did it that way. Is the garage just a bad place? And I have read that the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator is a good place yet still they didn't hatch. Am I not spraying them enough? What type of container should they be stored in? I had them in a variety of containers, namely 32 oz cups, critter keepers, and small cups with paper towel tops.
If outside is the best way how would one go about putting them out there and protecting them from furry creatures and parasites and the like?
If indoors is best what is that best method? It is still warm outside so where and how should I store them for now?
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