What do you keep your mantids in?

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seeing as how I'm probably the reason for all of this, I figure I should show I'm not all talk. Here's some pictures of enclosures I'm currently using:

Taumantis adult female:

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Taumantis subadult female:

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Mesopteryx alata adult female:

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Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii male:

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I do have, and use, deli cups. When I started raising bugs I took tips from breeders who gave them minimal care. Since then I've formed my own opinion on what mantids need, and I've been swapping them into bigger, better enclosures as fast as I can. I still have a number to go, but even so; absolutely none of my cups are just screen. They all have sticks or vines or both to walk on, they all have good substrate, they're all clean, and they're all plenty big enough for a mantis to move.

 
just on the topic, my sister came over for the first time in a little bit, and she mentioned how all the enclosures get bigger every time she comes over to visit.

i was like "duh!", they grow, they get a bigger enclosure!

 
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I think that there are more factors in choosing a mantis cage than are represented here thus far.

Call me crazy but I have found oversized "naturally" decorated cages to be a detriment in most cases to BOTH the feeders and the mantids themselves. I say this because I have found that when feeding mantids in a large cages that lots of feeders will be wasted and the mantid has trouble finding its food unless it is hand fed. Of course if you have the time to hand feed all of your mantids than larger cages are an option (I'm talking to you Krissim Klaw ;) ). What I am saying here is unless you have the time to maintain large cages small cages are a great option. In this thread I have seen many people look down on smaller cages. I think this is a bit naive. I say this because small cages are a great option for many people. I use smaller cages because I do not have the space to keep all of my mantids in 12" net cubes. I find that in smaller cages I can maintain higher humidity, waste less feeders, and my mantids can still roam around.

It also must be noted that each species has different caging requirements. This makes what I said above somewhat irrelevant. For example it is inappropriate to keep Gongys in deli cups past L4. Contrary to that deli cups would be better for ghosts (that are not kept communally) because they can have trouble finding food.

For communal cages bigger is almost always better in MY opinion. I say this because I have found that mantids get stressed out when they are to close to each other (Gongys) or they will eat each other (Deroplatys).

 
For smaller species/instars (like PW) I use 16 oz. For small sp's final molts, as well as large mantids' "middle instars" I use 32 oz. delis. For adult mantids/large mantids' final molts I use kritter keepers and net cages. I prefer exoterras for mantises post- final molt in these circumstances, for there's less chance of falling.

Also, for adult males of large species, I use revamped pretzel jars with a mesh lid.

 
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gripen said:
I think that there are more factors in choosing a mantis cage than are represented here thus far.

Call me crazy but I have found oversized "naturally" decorated cages to be a detriment in most cases to BOTH the feeders and the mantids themselves. I say this because I have found that when feeding mantids in a large cages that lots of feeders will be wasted and the mantid has trouble finding its food unless it is hand fed. Of course if you have the time to hand feed all of your mantids than larger cages are an option (I'm talking to you Krissim Klaw ;) ). What I am saying here is unless you have the time to maintain large cages small cages are a great option. In this thread I have seen many people look down on smaller cages. I think this is a bit naive. I say this because small cages are a great option for many people. I use smaller cages because I do not have the space to keep all of my mantids in 12" net cubes. I find that in smaller cages I can maintain higher humidity, waste less feeders, and my mantids can still roam around.

It also must be noted that each species has different caging requirements. This makes what I said above somewhat irrelevant. For example it is inappropriate to keep Gongys in deli cups past L4. Contrary to that deli cups would be better for ghosts (that are not kept communally) because they can have trouble finding food.

For communal cages bigger is almost always better in MY opinion. I say this because I have found that mantids get stressed out when they are to close to each other (Gongys) or they will eat each other (Deroplatys).
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I hand-feed my mantids, and those I don't hand feed, I put them in smaller containers temporarily so they can catch and eat their prey. I am also lucky enough to have plenty of time so a large container works good for me. I also think it's nice for the mantid. I don't look down on small containers, but puny containers, such as fruit fly containers, just seem torturous to me. I wouldn't tell anybody how to control their pets but I, myself, think that's too small for an adult mantid. That's just my opinion. I mean, mantids are meant to live outside, in the wild, an entirely unconfined environment. I feel bad keeping them in large containers never mind puny ones. I don't think it is naive to think that way. I feel it's fair to the mantid. They are not meant to be domesticated so replicating the wild as much as possible seems best to me. I tend to keep less mantids so I have more room for them. I've never kept more than 4 at a time, unless if you're counting nymphs hatched from oothecae, but I sell them, so they don't count really. I think it's fine to keep them in a smaller container, but putting my older ones in something as small as a fruit fly culture container would make me feel bad for the mantid. My ghosts never had a problem with food but it depends on how active they are, how fat or thin they are, how much heat is provided, etc. I hand-feed my older ghost now though because she lost a leg.

 
sinensispsyched said:
For smaller species/instars (like PW) I use 16 oz. For small sp's final molts, as well as large mantids' "middle instars" I use 32 oz. delis. For adult mantids/large mantids' final molts I use kritter keepers and net cages. I prefer exoterras for mantises post- final molt in these circumstances, for there's less chance of falling.

Also, for adult males of large species, I use revamped pretzel jars with a mesh lid.
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Sounds good!

 
D_Hemptress said:
just on the topic, my sister came over for the first time in a little bit, and she mentioned how all the enclosures get bigger every time she comes over to visit.

i was like "duh!", they grow, they get a bigger enclosure!
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Lol that's how it was with me.

 
Even in a super large container, all it takes is to keep a little food with the mantis and they'll eat whenever they want. They're able to hunt food when they want to. Right now I have a subadult Pnigomantis medioconstricta in a massive Exo terra screen terrarium, approximately 24"x24x24. The bottom is layered with oats as substrate, and mealworms and beetles have made a home there. There's not many of them, but they hang around. Whenever she is hungry, the mantis knows to just climb down the wall and snatch up a worm. I see her eating all the time, and have never had to hand feed her.

A lot of common feeders like roaches, crickets, and beetles will crawl all over the place unless there's only paper towel as a substrate. Every enclosure I've used paper towels in, the beetles just hide under it when I drop them in. All the enclosures I use reptibark in, the beetles wander around and get grabbed. Flies will obviously be buzzing around all the time. you don't have to see your mantis eating to know you've fed them, just put food in their enclosure and they'll get it. They're hunters after all.

 
D_Hemptress said:
i started out with smaller home made enclosures

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and im slowly upgrading as they grow. i really dont give them more room than is really needed but i do giv ethem enough so that if they were to choose to take a stroll they have that option.. even the ghosts, which yes, barely move. but because they hardly choose to move im able to keep them together in a larger enclosure.

i alwasy add color for them. as i was telling some other people that had come to me with the topic, its like living in a single room with a biege chair in the center. ya, you get to stand-up, sit down move around if you want ... but how boring is that?! that would make any creature unhappy.

im learning from experience where the furniture should go on the inside based on the personalities of each mantis. my Stagmomantis Limbata prefers to to run around upside down (and crickets like to hide under flowers placed on the bottom of the enclosure) so i glued a large red flower on one side and branch on the other side. there is plenty of room directly in the middle where she always chooses to molt. i adjust everything to each individual personality. you cant generalize and keep everything in the exact same conditions... just my opinion. ide usually keep to myself but i was asked to share by several other members

hope this helps
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Awesome!

 
Malakyoma said:
Even in a super large container, all it takes is to keep a little food with the mantis and they'll eat whenever they want. They're able to hunt food when they want to. Right now I have a subadult Pnigomantis medioconstricta in a massive Exo terra screen terrarium, approximately 24"x24x24. The bottom is layered with oats as substrate, and mealworms and beetles have made a home there. There's not many of them, but they hang around. Whenever she is hungry, the mantis knows to just climb down the wall and snatch up a worm. I see her eating all the time, and have never had to hand feed her.

A lot of common feeders like roaches, crickets, and beetles will crawl all over the place unless there's only paper towel as a substrate. Every enclosure I've used paper towels in, the beetles just hide under it when I drop them in. All the enclosures I use reptibark in, the beetles wander around and get grabbed. Flies will obviously be buzzing around all the time. you don't have to see your mantis eating to know you've fed them, just put food in their enclosure and they'll get it. They're hunters after all.
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Exactly! Sounds like a good home.

 
MantidBro and Malakyoma if large cages work for you power to ya!

All I was trying to say is large cages are not for everyone or every species so you can't expect everyone to use them.

 
gripen said:
MantidBro and Malakyoma if large cages work for you power to ya!

All I was trying to say is large cages are not for everyone or every species so you can't expect everyone to use them.
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I don't expect everyone to keep their mantids in massive cages, but fruit fly cups and tiny little enclosures so they can keep hundreds of them is wrong. give them room to roam and hunt. My tau enclosures above are good examples. ones an 80oz tupperware, still pretty small, but its built so she can explore it and hunt food. she moves around a lot. I wouldnt want her in anything smaller, but some breeders keep mantids twice the size in enclosures smaller than that.

 
gripen said:
Call me crazy but I have found oversized "naturally" decorated cages to be a detriment in most cases to BOTH the feeders and the mantids themselves. I say this because I have found that when feeding mantids in a large cages that lots of feeders will be wasted and the mantid has trouble finding its food unless it is hand fed. Of course if you have the time to hand feed all of your mantids than larger cages are an option (I'm talking to you Krissim Klaw ;) ).
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Hahaha you would be surprised. I actually find feeding in the larger cages pretty easy because they are net cages. Fruit flies, crickets, flies, and much of the fluttering insects I feed are very active in the net cages. I don't use roaches but have heard those are a lot less active. Because of the netting the prey items can easily scale the walls and most tend to go upwards, which is around the mantis. Often when I toss food in I just start it off in the direction of where my mantis is sitting and watch it get snagged. Feeding generally only takes a couple minutes per a mantis, but I know my methods wouldn't work for those keeping hundreds of mantises. I am a strange keeper.

For instance, I do spot cleanings and remove all frass and other extra bits that appear once a day when I offer water. I like to partially cover my cages at night with little blankets. I rotate my mantises outside of the cages on desk plants and often feed those mantises out of cups where they can easily snag their meal. I also constantly blow kisses at my mantises and tell them how adorable they are in a baby voice. Normal I am not... even in the non mainstream world of mantis keeping. :batman:

 
I keep the 3'' ones in 4'' cups, 4'' ones in 5'' containers and adults in 6'' ones. I give them just enough room to move without being able to stretch out.

 
Krissim Klaw said:
Hahaha you would be surprised. I actually find feeding in the larger cages pretty easy because they are net cages. Fruit flies, crickets, flies, and much of the fluttering insects I feed are very active in the net cages. I don't use roaches but have heard those are a lot less active. Because of the netting the prey items can easily scale the walls and most tend to go upwards, which is around the mantis. Often when I toss food in I just start it off in the direction of where my mantis is sitting and watch it get snagged. Feeding generally only takes a couple minutes per a mantis, but I know my methods wouldn't work for those keeping hundreds of mantises. I am a strange keeper.

For instance, I do spot cleanings and remove all frass and other extra bits that appear once a day when I offer water. I like to partially cover my cages at night with little blankets. I rotate my mantises outside of the cages on desk plants and often feed those mantises out of cups where they can easily snag their meal. I also constantly blow kisses at my mantises and tell them how adorable they are in a baby voice. Normal I am not... even in the non mainstream world of mantis keeping. :batman:
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Feeding in my large containers is easy, too. I put a bunch in, then once they catch some, I take the rest back out. I don't do this with crickets though because they're basically bacteria with a hint of bug. Flies I do this with. Never had a problem with bacterial infections/parasites with flies.

 

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