What happens if I don't breed my female orchid mantis?

[Mellie mantis]

Hi Everyone,
If you happened to see my previous post, my male orchid mantis somehow managed to escape his side of the terrarium and got into the female's side while i was cleaning house. I came back a few hours later to find nothing left of him but 2 wings! I'm very upset. But now i'm also worried because I read on one of the many sites i peruse, that if mantises are not bred they continue to produce eggs but may not lay them and then die of being egg bound. Is this true? If I don't breed her will she die? Also, i read that when they breed they often die after laying the eggs. So is she going to die prematurely either way??

thanks for the advice! I'm a totale rookie at all this. It's my first time with them and I adore them so much. They're just amazing creatures.

Thanks!
Mellie

 

[hibiscusmile]

Orchids are not that delicate. She will live over a year if you take care of her and keep her safe. She will lay an ootheca even if not mated and that does not make her death faster. It's as God intended for them.

 

[Mellie mantis]

Orchids are not that delicate. She will live over a year if you take care of her and keep her safe. She will lay an ootheca even if not mated and that does not make her death faster. It's as God intended for them.

Ok. Thank you for these reassurances because the internet says a lot of stuff. And you never know who is right. One site said eating the male is bad for her one said it's good nutrition. How to know where the truth is. Have you kept females unbred?

 

[BlobfishBoy]

Ok. Thank you for these reassurances because the internet says a lot of stuff. And you never know who is right. One site said eating the male is bad for her one said it's good nutrition. How to know where the truth is. Have you kept females unbred?

Eating the male isn’t harmful for her. As long as you don’t over feed odds are she won’t become outbound and will live a normal lifespan.

 

[Vitalwings]

Eating the male isn’t harmful for her. As long as you don’t over feed odds are she won’t become outbound and will live a normal lifespan.

True

 

[kurliefrie]

Ok. Thank you for these reassurances because the internet says a lot of stuff. And you never know who is right. One site said eating the male is bad for her one said it's good nutrition. How to know where the truth is. Have you kept females unbred?

just to clear things up, the female eating the male isnt unhealthy for her, she eats the male as a source of nutrition for herself and her offspring

 

[Mellie mantis]

just to clear things up, the female eating the male isnt unhealthy for her, she eats the male as a source of nutrition for herself and her offspring

thank you! I read this on a website of a breeder somewhere and it really concerned me. I'm still sad about the loss of my little male though. He was such a cute guy! But thanks for letting me know my girl will be ok

 

[Mellie mantis]

Eating the male isn’t harmful for her. As long as you don’t over feed odds are she won’t become outbound and will live a normal lifespan.

ooh that's interesting. So overfeeding can contribute to being egg bound?

 

[jday]

I'm curious whether the male was fully mature. If so, maybe they did mate and you just didn't see it. That would be the best possible outcome! If she lays an ooth, I'd treat it as if it were fertile.

 

[TheWolven]

ooh that's interesting. So overfeeding can contribute to being egg bound?

Correct! I unfortunately had this happen to me recently as I use prey items during breeding to keep the female occupied while the male is sneaking up on her. She decided to eat herself out of house and home...

Unmated female mantises do not need as much food. Usually, I just watch the size of the abdomen but that can be difficult when they've got an ooth inside. If you want a schedule for feeding though, I'd recommend feeding your girl small meals 2x a week. Best of luck to you!

 

[Mellie mantis]

Correct! I unfortunately had this happen to me recently as I use prey items during breeding to keep the female occupied while the male is sneaking up on her. She decided to eat herself out of house and home...

Unmated female mantises do not need as much food. Usually, I just watch the size of the abdomen but that can be difficult when they've got an ooth inside. If you want a schedule for feeding though, I'd recommend feeding your girl small meals 2x a week. Best of luck to you!

Thanks so much for this info! Because the breeders that we got her from said 2 to 30 prey 2 to 3 times per week. Scared of under feeding I was aiming for 3 prey 3 times per week. So I'll definitely cut back. Is there anything I can do to help her if she is egg bound? Also How to know if she is?

Thanks bunches!