Substrate

[Volvagia2]

I have some Mantises in a large containers and since it is the fall season I was planning to gather fallen leaves to use as bedding but I don't know if I should clean of the dirt off or sanitize the leaves when I gather them. My mantises are local and wildly caught but I don't know if they'll be immune to the microrganisms that maybe within the leaves which may harm them due to that they are in an enclosed area. If They in fact need to be cleaned and santized to be used as bedding, what could I use and how to disinfect them that won't be harmful to the mantises? The containers are so large that it is not easy to shape the paper towels in large circles and tape the sides down.

 

[PhilinYuma]

The problem with dead leaves, aside from what they might be carrying, is that when they get wet, they have a tendency to rot. I don't know whether anyone else has tried using them successfully, but I would tend to go with something like peat moss from a pet store or Mantis Place that won't introduce any unwanted life and will absorb moisture well.

Folks usually nuke material like sand in the microwave for five minutes or so (not very scientific, I know!) but I would think that leaves so treated would just shrivel up.

What mantids are you raising, BTW?

 

[hibiscusmile]

They would probably light on fire too. If you cant get any moss, than just go with a bare bottom! btw, I ment the container, not u!

 

[PhilinYuma]

They would probably light on fire too. If you cant get any moss, than just go with a bare bottom! btw, I ment the container, not u!

Glad you cleared that up, Rebecca! :lol:

 

[Rick]

You're thinking about this too hard. If you want the leaves then put them in there. They are not the best substrate as they are probably all dry. Many people use folded pieces of paper towel which can be moistened. The organisms in the leaves are a none issue.

 

[Volvagia2]

You're thinking about this too hard. If you want the leaves then put them in there. They are not the best substrate as they are probably all dry. Many people use folded pieces of paper towel which can be moistened. The organisms in the leaves are a none issue.

name=Volvagia2 I could just gather a bag of leaves and rinse em with warm water and then quickly dry em out in a dry basking spot so they don't shrivel up or rot like the other replies I've read or can I use soap or something else that you can recommend. (I live in California and whe have quite dry weather right now). II'm also was going to change the substrate every few weeks if I use this substrate. Do you think it's a good idea of what I wrote about rinsing or drying the leaves?

 

[Rick]

name=Volvagia2 I could just gather a bag of leaves and rinse em with warm water and then quickly dry em out in a dry basking spot so they don't shrivel up or rot like the other replies I've read or can I use soap or something else that you can recommend. (I live in California and whe have quite dry weather right now). II'm also was going to change the substrate every few weeks if I use this substrate. Do you think it's a good idea of what I wrote about rinsing or drying the leaves?

You don't need to wash them. Just keep in mind if your goal is to add humidity to the cage then leaves are not the best option. If you want them for the look then just put them in. No need to wash them.

 

[Matticus]

In most of my cages, I use paper towels, but in the others, I use a landscaping mulch mix (bark, wood chips, dirt, and a bit of pine straw) I gleaned from a flower bed. Keeps things nice and humid, and I don't have to worry about cleanup (I use superworms and wood lice as decomposers, and crickets help too before they are eaten). This will NOT work if you plan to use superworms or mealworms as a food source for your mantis (unless you hand-feed), and crickets sometimes burrow into the mulch as well.