What feeder to use?

[Chemz]

So, my mantis is probably going to outgrow fruit flies next moult. I was wondering what to feed him...   The county spays for mosquitoes at my house so i don't think wild caught feeders would be safe, and i'm kinda weary about feeding crickets as I have heard they have similar immune systems to mantids so desiese can be transmited easily. So I'm unsure what to do... 

 

[steeve]

Cockroaches are a popular choice but flies are an excellent option as well. You can buy pupae online and then set them out at room temp to hatch. Online you can find 100 or more for just $3-5 or so and even my little mantids seem to love them.

Crickets are a totally valid option as well; the main issues come from people getting unhealthy crickets from pet stores that eat dead things and harbor disease. If you keep them clean and well fed there shouldn't be any problems, there's tons of posts on here on how to gut load them to be a great food source. 

 

[Ocelotbren]

I second the fly option.  You can buy appropriately sized flies and move the mantids up as they molt too, such as stable flies to house flies to blue bottle flies.  That is what I have done.

 

[Connor]

I've been using houseflies, and I gotta say they are easy and cheap. If you don't want them to fly away when you feed, get them right when they hatch, or put them in a freezer for a minute to make them go dormant.