Storing Chinese ootheca overwinter

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Mystymantis

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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?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
If you're really having problems with the humidity, or the ooths drying out, you could wrap them in damp paper towels in your fridge and change the towels every few days.

- MantisGirl13

 
They should be fertile I mated them all, but of course you can never be 100% sure.

Assuming they are fertile, Fridge veg drawer is fine, but mist 3 times a week is good. Don't cut off air to them, use a insect lid on deli cup or they will mold.
Insect lid on deli cup? do you mean a mesh lid on the deli cups?

What I use for the ones in the refrigerator so I don't take up too much space is these small cups about the size of 9 oz solo cup with a hard plastic lid that has holes in it. Or a paper towel on top. Though that might mold?

I can try increasing the misting from once a week to 3 in the vegetable drawer. And I was worried about mold because one of the ootheca actually did mold with some brownish mold.

I have never put a substrate in the cups due to fear of mold but if that would help with the humidity I might try it.

Should I put the ootheca that were laid in the refrigerator right now then?

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
What works for me is to put them in the crisper of the fridge in a sealed plastic container. One with a lid that snaps on airtight. No, they won't suffocate in this! The container is lined with paper towel and I add a single drop of water before closing the lid and putting it into the fridge. Any more than a drop of water can possibly lead to mold. I check on them every other week by opening up the container to look at them and I add a new drop of water. I've done this with Mantis religiosa oothecae with success. Right now I have 5 in my fridge.

 
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