They have arrived!!

[Tiara]

Hey guys! My Babies came in last wednesday. I have been so busy with them I havent had time to post!!! I already had some big things happen too!! One of the A.formosana molted today and two more are molting as we speak!! The other two arent looking too good though. I have been misting them all regularly so I am not sure what is up with these two!! Hopefully they pull through!! Anyways, this is so much fun! Im so busy with them all! They dont really seem to be likeing the crickets too much. But they have all eaten. I am keeping them all in quart canning jars with a couple sticks and some fake flowers. They all seem to have their own personalities too! Its so cute! The chinese nymphs really seem to like to be held! Is that normal? Everytime I open any of their cages they run right up to the top and put their arms out like "UP! UP!" LOL They are so cute! I cant beleive how small they are!! I knew they were only like less than an inch when I ordered them but I guess I just didnt really know how big that was!! LOL It makes my first look like a monster and I thought he was small!! LOL Well, I am off to check up on them all. My new nightly ritual, along with saying good night to them all LOL. Im such a dork! I will post pics whenever I get a sec!!

 

[hibiscusmile]

:lol: Kiss those babies for me too!

 

[Tiara]

Lol I know im a dork! But I love um!!

 

[shorty]

Congrats! I am expanding my collection tomorrow, as well! I will be ordering four Phyllocrania paradoxa, four Creobroter pictipennis, and four budwings! I am very excited and already have their setups ready. Good luck, Tiara!

 

[nasty bugger]

Had my first successful hatching about a couple weeks ago, and they molted day before yesterday, and started killing the babies that were born two days ago from another ootheca.

I moved most of the babies out of that gallon jar, and the older one's don't seem to be going after the others right now, for some reason.

I was surprised that the first batch molted so soon, and that they seem to have gained so much size overnight seemingly.

I have several in a couple different quart jars, and some larger pickle jars, and have some aquariums to set up to hopefully house some, maybe the budwing that I should be getting after Christmas. I don't even know what a budwing looks like, yet

Have fun, but the thing I'm wondering about is when they start trying to kill each other off, and how long and what to do to sidestep the impending carnage At first I would think, "my babies", but now I'm thinking it's just natural selection, though I am trying to cut the killing spree off.

I have alot to learn about everything, like what species I have... and how each particular one does what they do and when, and why, and ....

Have fun.

 

[Tiara]

Well, I figured I would do a week by week update and get all my questions out at once. You guys would not beleive the week I had!!! I had 4 Chinese mantids molt, 2 tiawan flower mantids, and 3 S. parva!!! The only ones yet to molt have been the wide arms. I have also lost some... 2 S. Parvas and 2 Tiawan flower mantids. Im not sure why as I have aprox 7 of each species and they are all treated the same. One S. Parva (that is still alive) got his leg stuck ina molt. I squirted a little water on him and kinda let him soak, then kinda held the molt while he walked away from it. The foot looks real skinny but he is getting around ok. Is He gona get it back?? They are all growing up so quick!! I cant wait for the wide arms to get bigger, I think they might be my favorite. They are all eating very well. The fruit flys dont even last a second in their containers!! It is so cute!! So that is leading me to the next question I have. I have been feeding them about twice a week ( all of them) those flightless fruit flies... Is that enough? Should they eat more? And a question on the fruit flies, I got all the stuff to make my own culture, but how do I do it? I know its kinda silly but now I have 3 containers from pet smart chuck full of maggots (yuck!!) so do I have to move those wriggly little suckers? Or should I wait for them to hatch?? When do I know when they are gonna hatch. Some are turning like a light brown/tan color... Dead? Sorry I am such a newbie!!!!

 

[Orin]

Well, I figured I would do a week by week update and get all my questions out at once. You guys would not beleive the week I had!!! I had 4 Chinese mantids molt, 2 tiawan flower mantids, and 3 S. parva!!! The only ones yet to molt have been the wide arms. I have also lost some... 2 S. Parvas and 2 Tiawan flower mantids. Im not sure why as I have aprox 7 of each species and they are all treated the same. One S. Parva (that is still alive) got his leg stuck ina molt. I squirted a little water on him and kinda let him soak, then kinda held the molt while he walked away from it. The foot looks real skinny but he is getting around ok. Is He gona get it back?? They are all growing up so quick!! I cant wait for the wide arms to get bigger, I think they might be my favorite. They are all eating very well. The fruit flys dont even last a second in their containers!! It is so cute!! So that is leading me to the next question I have. I have been feeding them about twice a week ( all of them) those flightless fruit flies... Is that enough? Should they eat more? And a question on the fruit flies, I got all the stuff to make my own culture, but how do I do it? I know its kinda silly but now I have 3 containers from pet smart chuck full of maggots (yuck!!) so do I have to move those wriggly little suckers? Or should I wait for them to hatch?? When do I know when they are gonna hatch. Some are turning like a light brown/tan color... Dead? Sorry I am such a newbie!!!!

It sounds like the mantids are small and having moisture issues, try misting more often, even a few times a day. When small, feeding every 2nd or 3rd day is probably better than maybe twice a week.

You move the adult fruit flies. The brown things on the sides should be puparium.

 

[Tiara]

It sounds like the mantids are small and having moisture issues, try misting more often, even a few times a day. When small, feeding every 2nd or 3rd day is probably better than maybe twice a week. You move the adult fruit flies. The brown things on the sides should be puparium.

Hey Thanks! how do I know if it is too dry or too wet? I have cotton balls covered with paper towels for a substrate, until they get a lil older then I will move on to coconut fiber or something. Right now I am keeping it so that if I put pressure on it, water doesnt come out, but almost. I think it is quite damp, so I dont know that I shoud be doing it more than I am because if I do they will be walking in water. I am probably wrong, but they spend a good amount of time on the bottom of their cages so I am worried. I dont know, like I said... Im a Newbie!!

 

[hibiscusmile]

take out the cotton and just mist a couple times a day when little, also feed them everyday until they molt and leave them alone other than a misting with really warm water when they are goint to molt. Do not bother them if in a molt. Do feed them all the fruit flies they want every day. They are babies and need their food, this may be what went wrong with the others, to weak from lack of food.

 

[Tiara]

Thanks!! So, when I feed them, after they finish, offer another? I feel so bad that I have done something to harm them. But some, mostly the S. Parvas refused food. I have even tried taking out the flowers and just leaving a stick for a little while, thinking maybe they couldnt see it... I dont know! I am kind of disgusted that I lost so many. This is my first time with babies as you guys know. I did just have papertowels in thier cage but it seemed to dry up within the day so I chose to put cotton balls under to help hold humidity, and even still I have to mist them everyday. We keep the house very warm because it is winter up here, maybe that has something to do with it? Maybe they have too much ventolation, though I kind of thought there was no such thing. They are in canning jars with screen over the top. Ugh! This is tough! Thank Goodness I have you guys!!! Again I am sorry I have so many questions!!

 

[hibiscusmile]

When u have a bunch in a container, just dump a bit in, at least I try for a few for all, when this little, they die easily, especially the tinier ones, a fruit fly falling on your head or a drop of water from a misting bottle is probably like an astroid falling on us :lol: , just kidding,( member the old scifi movies, where the one guy shrunk and was in the basement, and the hot water tank was leaking and.......... member) that is not probably what is doing it, but of course u never really know, do you?

 

[robelgado]

Haha we have even named ours.

I have one called big bad brown.

Hes a monster, eats massive amounts if I allow him.

Very calm and mellow though.

 

[nasty bugger]

I just feed when I think they will eat.

I have been feeding only fruit flies, to the fruit fly eaters, when I think they are close to molting. I do this so other food, crickets and flies that may knock the molting mantids down, can't injure the molting mantis'.

I have a mis molted mantis that wouldn't eat for about a week, and has a deformed, burdensome right arm.

I would try to feed him fruitflies with forceps, and he'd fight to get away, so I figured I was just wasting his precious energy by causing him to struggle, so I just left him be.

I would open the vial and let him gimp around, and he looked like he wasn't going to make iti for quite a while.

It would just drag the arm around, and I thought it was a goner.

He is also humped over, I may call him igor now, but he started eating again, after I thought he was going to die.

I mean he ate several, like 8 or more, fruit flies in the first hour or so. I gave him more, and they disappeared, and he grew much larger and hasn't even molted yet.

I'm hoping on this next molt that he will come back to normal. He should after enduring so much so well.

I accidentally washed my hands with a mantis on them , and thought I'd it, but it came back from a wet noodle that I thought was sure to be dead, but came out just fine after I put him on a towel and let him revive.

I just try to feed them well, and keep them humid by misting the container at least once a day, and the cloth cover at least a couple times a day, and they seem to do fine.

I have lost several in the process after hatching two ooths out, and now I have 18 mantis' now.

Once they got larger I started trying to get them a larger variety of food, crickets, flies, when they'll eat them fruit flies, and roaches when I find them. I put a moth in with one, and he wouldn't touch it, but it was about the same size as the mantis. I've seen him 'attack' and shake the dead body of the moth, and then just drop it when if figures out it's not alive, but he still does it. Maybe I should market a dead moth toy for stupid mantis' :huh:

As it warms up, and lot's more bugs start to come out, I antisipate feeding a much larger variety of insects to my mantis', and tarantula.

I was told earlier this evening that the locusts are so thick in Yuma as some time in the summer, that they coat the street and make it dangerous to drive. Sounds like a good time to come down and get some food for the few mantis that I will keep this summer. I will release the others to roam the free world, after I get a couple ooths from them I'll have to warn Phil that I may be in the neighborhood sometime then :blink: :huh:

B)

 

[Tiara]

Hello, everyone!! Nasty bugger brought it to my attention that I havent posted in while!!! SORRY ABOUT THAT! LOL Well, now for the update:

I have lost a couple more, but the ones that have survived my ignorant but caring care are thriving it seems. As I said to him in a post, it kind of seems like trial and error huh? It really sucks to loose them, but maybe some day I wil get better at caring for these little cuties!! Lol I named my big indo pacific mantis... Magellan! LOL They really are so human like!! Its so hard to not fall so deeply in love with these little guys!! Thank you guys for your support!!

 

[Katnapper]

I'm glad things are going relatively well with your little ones, Tiara. Newbie or expert, you will lose some regardless of what you do. But figuring out what your mistakes have been, and learning from them, will decrease the number of potentially preventable losses. Being able to care for and raise them is a rewarding experience!

 

[Dinora]

Hello, everyone!! Nasty bugger brought it to my attention that I havent posted in while!!! SORRY ABOUT THAT! LOL Well, now for the update:I have lost a couple more, but the ones that have survived my ignorant but caring care are thriving it seems. As I said to him in a post, it kind of seems like trial and error huh? It really sucks to loose them, but maybe some day I wil get better at caring for these little cuties!! Lol I named my big indo pacific mantis... Magellan! LOL They really are so human like!! Its so hard to not fall so deeply in love with these little guys!! Thank you guys for your support!!

Sorry about your losses... Good news is, you found this site. Some days I do nothing but read through the older posts.

Then again, other days I sit there for an hour or so just looking at my little mantis. The "#9" is a far more active one that the orchid mantis - lol

We've named the #9 "Kung fu" but still haven't named the orchid, nothing seems good enough for her!