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wyethia

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in a couple months, I will be going on a 1 week vacation. What do you all normally do with your mantids when on vacation? I have one friend that may be able to deal with them-she is used to tarantulas. They will all be quite a bit older by then and I would think they may be fine on food, especially if I leave some house fly pupae...but I'm worried about water/ humidity.

Risk having a non-experienced person caring or try and set them up to survive the week.

There is always the possibility of leaving more delicate/ smaller species with someone but the hardier species alone.

I don't have violins/idolo's etc...lineolas, ghosts, mio...

Wyethia

 
try to have her in and show her on one, then watch her take care of others, misting included. if u leave them they prob will survive, but will become weak and have a shorter life span.

 
So far I've taken mine with on vacation. Only road trips thus far, no plane trips.

The longest trip I went that I didn't take my bugs with was 3 days. That took some convincing on my part too because I was uncertain about leaving them alone for three days.

 
So far I've taken mine with on vacation. Only road trips thus far, no plane trips.

The longest trip I went that I didn't take my bugs with was 3 days. That took some convincing on my part too because I was uncertain about leaving them alone for three days.
Three days is fine to leave them alone, but a week is just pushing it a bit. If it were me I would put in extra food before leaving and have someone come over halfway through the week and feed them.

 
I would suggest "stuffing" them as much as they'll eat right before your trip. Depending on the mantid, you might leave different staged fly pupae in with them. Automatic feeding. Misting and humidity might be a problem, though.

 
I would worry about the misting and humidity the most. i think my guys would go into shock. :unsure: they are spoiled. my boyfriend is being sent to hawaii for a month to work and asked me if i wanted to go and get married while we were there.... I had to say no because my mantis would die. :lol: :lol: imagine the shock on his face

 
GO GO GO. Send your babies to me. I'll watch and spoil them, just like mine. Don't miss the man for the bug.
laugh.gif


 
GO GO GO. Send your babies to me. I'll watch and spoil them, just like mine. Don't miss the man for the bug.
laugh.gif
:eek: but the bugs are easier to keep :lol: :lol: :lol: :p they are not as demanding and i can keep a whole variety of them without offending anybody :smarty:

 
I would suggest "stuffing" them as much as they'll eat right before your trip. Depending on the mantid, you might leave different staged fly pupae in with them. Automatic feeding. Misting and humidity might be a problem, though.
This. If they're eating house or bluebottle flies just put extra pupa in of diff ages so they would hatch at different times during the week.

 
I would suggest "stuffing" them as much as they'll eat right before your trip. Depending on the mantid, you might leave different staged fly pupae in with them. Automatic feeding. Misting and humidity might be a problem, though.
+1 It's not a bad idea to leave a very moist substrate (paper towels or whatever) when you leave, but my adults and nymphs have survived in Yuma for 10 days with an ambient humidity dropping into single digits.

 
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If you have a friend that will be fine to baby sit for you I would personally go that route. It is not that hard to toss in one prey item and give a quick mist every day. Since they are used to tarantulas it shouldn't be a problem unless for some reason you have reason to distrust them.

 
If you have a friend that will be fine to baby sit for you I would personally go that route. It is not that hard to toss in one prey item and give a quick mist every day. Since they are used to tarantulas it shouldn't be a problem unless for some reason you have reason to distrust them.
Thank you for all the responses.

(it isn't so much any "distrust" as much as feeling like I'm imposing--I have about 20 separate enclosures now...)

Right now, I'm leaning towards sending them all over to my ex's house with my daughter. She's been helping me mist them and, to some limited extent feed them. If not, he can handle helping her. The trip is now up to 10 days, so I won't be comfortable unless I have someone actually caring for them.

Wyethia

 
I wanna see his face! :tt2:
Lol! well, I already inflicted tarantulas (up to 40 at a time on him) during the marriage :) I remember one time when one of my rose hairs got out... :)

he's a bit more of a lizard guy...

:) Wyethia

 
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