Teamonger's Mantis Habitats

[Teamonger]

One of my favorite parts of this hobby is making a variety of habitats for the little cuties. I'm an artist at heart so I can't just make due with utilitarian habitats. Thus I figured I might as well start a thread to put all my various creations in as my mantises grow up.

So here is the first tiny enclosure I'm using to keep my "desk buddies" in when I take them to work every day. Its made out of a perfectly sized candy container that held licorice. I have access to a 3D printer at work so I threw in a 3D printed glow in the dark mushroom because how fun is that?

 

[crabbypatty]

The mushroom is so cute!

 

[Zeppy44]

Cool habitat!   :clap:

 

[Chalc]

These look so cute! Mine look so clinical now, I will definitely add some life to their containers whenever they are bigger. Very cool touch with the mushroom!  

 

[Mystymantis]

That is so cute! I love it.  And the glow in the dark mushroom, that is super cool. What is the material you are using for the mesh? It looks perfect to keep fruit flies in.

 

[Teamonger]

@Mystymantis I believe that material was a bunch of fabric I bought for use on my wedding arch but never ended up using it and now its being re-purposed because it is pretty perfect. That said I get most of my fruit fly material either by digging through the ends bins at fabric stores or by buying cheap ribbon from the dollarstore.

 

[Chivalry]

I love this!  My mantids are going to be permanent "desk buddies" too.  Makes boring work so much nicer.

 

[Serle]

What an xlnt way to take your friends to work ... 

 

[Teamonger]

About time for an update to this thread. I have been busy making all manner of houses for my mantis friends. I am very perticular about how they look and their functionality so there has been a lot of trial and error. Here are two of my favorite habitats I currently have.

I found this glass orb at HomeSense and instantly bought two of them. Its the perfect viewing habitat and with holes on both ends it has lovely cross ventilation. I 3D printed plugs for the two holes and used elastic bands to keep them fitted tightly. The only issue I have with this is that the glass is too slick for my work desk buddy to climb around on it. He's figured it out and makes use of the sticks now but it took him a while and a bit of frustration.
The little guy you can hopefully find has been dubbed Matcha and is an active hunter who is very fun to watch while I work! Ignore the 3D printed and tea clutter my desk is FILLED with

With my recent acquisition of a few Thistle mantises and their inability to climb glass or plastic of any kind I needed to come up with a smaller habitat that was mostly mesh. Once again I went to the 3D printer and whipped up an easily printable little frame which I then meshed up and added a front viewing window. They seem to love these as they can run across all the walls to hunt their fruit flies instead of watching them sadly from a twig til they get close. Tis a bit sparse in there for the moment until I have a chance to go on a stick hunting trip this weekend.

 

[River Dane]

That's awesome! I never would've thought about using a 3D printer for Mantis habitats. 10/10 for creativity... and everything else, really!

 

[CosbyArt]

@Teamonger The glass orb reminds me of the old deep sea diving helmets. Really love the 3D printed habitat and it's very unique for nymph homes. Too bad we all can't get 3D printers and pass around our habitat plans, that would be fun.

 

[WalkerNom]

I love the container with the glow in the dark mushroom, it's so cute!  I bet it's really fun taking your mantises to work.

 

[Teamonger]

@WalkerNom It is, its great I have a lax workplace in that regard. I do have to bring them home once they get big enough to start freaking people out but watching them hunt is a welcomed diversion while it lasts.

I stick those mushrooms everywhere cause they are just too fun!

 

[WalkerNom]

@Teamonger - Ah, that sucks  What about a small species that won't get that big?  But then I guess your mantises would have to accuse you of picking favorites LOL!  

You gave me an idea, I could make little mushrooms for my tanks out of children's air-dry clay!  Of course, they probably won't be as awesome as your glow in the dark ones...

 

[Reisa]

@WalkerNom - I checked, you can buy glow in the dark sculpey clay that hardens in the oven - I think it hold up to misting even!

 

[WalkerNom]

@Reisa - Thanks, you actually reminded me that I also have a bunch of oven bake clay (in glow in the dark too)!  Hopefully it's still good and hasn't hardened into a brick lol.  I guess I just went straight to kids clay because I want it to be safe as possible for the mantises.

 

[Teamonger]

@WalkerNom You can reconstitute dry clay (within reason) with mineral oil if need be! I actually have some glow in the dark clay as well but have not managed to play with it yet. The 3D printer takes less time as you just set it and walk away.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Renew-Dried-Out-Sculpey/

As for the smaller species I can't unfortunately. Anything other then Chinese and Carolina are not overly legal in Canada and my work might have issue with that. Fair dues really. I'll just have to get a tarantula instead, I'm sure everyone will be just fine with that.... :3

 

[Reisa]

Domino or question mark roaches? They stay burrowed until they come out as cool looking beetles. Really slow growing. Still waiting on my nymphs to mature, but in an office setting they would be creepy only if you failed to rename them domino beetles. lol

 

[WalkerNom]

@Teamonger - Thanks!  I may have some clay softener already...I'll have to dig through my clay stuff.  

Did you have mantises in those containers full time?  If so, did the glow in the dark mushroom bother them at all?

Also, you should totally get a tarantula!  I had a A. Versicolor once and it was gorgeous!