Kalemaster
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- Joined
- May 1, 2008
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For those of you who do not know, I live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which was recently hit by the worst flood in its history. Sadly, many of my mantids perished as a result.
I live in one of the mandatory evacuation areas, but did not evacuate. My place was not flooded, as I live on a hill, but I did lose power, gas, and water and I lost access to my home when the roads flooded one day, and got stranded at home another day. Without electricity, I did not have air conditioning, heat, light, and all of the other things that we generally take for granted. I did my best to keep things under control, but I lost a number of mantids.
About 400 tenodera died when I could not get home and had left the windows closed. The temperature was about 100 degrees farenheit (~40 C) when I got home. Due to the lack of lighting, I also lost a few newly hatched P. wahlbergii, as I did not notice that the ooth had begun hatching. My European praying mantis managed to escape in all of the confusion and may be hiding in a closet or such, but hopefully all of the drosophila bifurca which also escaped when I tripped in the dark will keep it fed until I find it.
Hopefully, those of you whom I have promised mantids to will understand. Fortunately, nobody has paid me yet for any of these, but I am sorry that I will not be able to provide them, as I will need to replenish my stock and have existing commitments (tenodera going to science classrooms, trades, etc.) that I must keep. The flood has ended, so I will be getting back to the mantis breeding.
I live in one of the mandatory evacuation areas, but did not evacuate. My place was not flooded, as I live on a hill, but I did lose power, gas, and water and I lost access to my home when the roads flooded one day, and got stranded at home another day. Without electricity, I did not have air conditioning, heat, light, and all of the other things that we generally take for granted. I did my best to keep things under control, but I lost a number of mantids.
About 400 tenodera died when I could not get home and had left the windows closed. The temperature was about 100 degrees farenheit (~40 C) when I got home. Due to the lack of lighting, I also lost a few newly hatched P. wahlbergii, as I did not notice that the ooth had begun hatching. My European praying mantis managed to escape in all of the confusion and may be hiding in a closet or such, but hopefully all of the drosophila bifurca which also escaped when I tripped in the dark will keep it fed until I find it.
Hopefully, those of you whom I have promised mantids to will understand. Fortunately, nobody has paid me yet for any of these, but I am sorry that I will not be able to provide them, as I will need to replenish my stock and have existing commitments (tenodera going to science classrooms, trades, etc.) that I must keep. The flood has ended, so I will be getting back to the mantis breeding.
Take care of yourself and help those you can, then worry about your bugs!
