What is this?

[Gaylordlizard]

Hi,

I just opened momo's enclosure to find a weird brownish liquid on the side. Is this like diarrhea or throw up? Is this normal? I was about to feed them but now I have second thoughts that I could be feeding them too much? Currently, momo's out of the enclosure, looking healthy and I just witnessed a healthy poop (although it did take a while).

 

[MantisGirl13]

Honestly, it could be either. What do you feed?

- MantisGirl13 

 

[Gaylordlizard]

I've been feeding Momo crickets that have been filled with grains and not carrots. I also just read that if their legs are brownish/black that could be a sign of infection? And momo's are that color...

 

[Gaylordlizard]

Oh and also feed them some fruit flies occasionally

 

[MrGhostMantis]

No, that's a giant asian mantis, their legs are just that color.

 

[MantisGirl13]

I'd stop feeding crickets as the black vomit can mean an infection. 

The legs are supposed to be that color because of the species.

- MantisGirl13 

 

[Gaylordlizard]

I'd stop feeding crickets as the black vomit can mean an infection. 

The legs are supposed to be that color because of the species.

- MantisGirl13 

Thank you for your advice. I'm a little confused why Momo might have an infection if the crickets are ok for them to eat...? I do have fruit flies but their not as easy to get (especially as adults) but I suppose I could put more in there instead.

 

[Gaylordlizard]

Update: I sprayed their enclosure and gave them some honey- hopefully I didn't make anything worse 

 

[MantisGirl13]

Thank you for your advice. I'm a little confused why Momo might have an infection if the crickets are ok for them to eat...? I do have fruit flies but their not as easy to get (especially as adults) but I suppose I could put more in there instead.

No matter what they eat, all crickets have the possibility of carrying infection. That's why they aren't recommended feeders. 

Honey and water are both great ideas! 

Likely its nothing, but I'd change up feeders and keep an eye on her behavior. 

- MantisGirl13 

 

[hysteresis]

@Gaylordlizard 

I have come to understand from several professional-level breeders that the use of banded crickets is common and safe.

They say it's all in the keeping and care you put into them. Their cricket bin must be clean and dry.

Their innards should be flushed out with moisture rich veggies if you bought them (always best  to culture them yourself). You are feeding grains and that's GREAT!

Feeding crickets doesn't usually end up with sickness. Far from it. But poorly-kept crickets can certainly kill your mantis.

If the crickets ingest a pathogen, they can spread it to your mantis. If your mantis eats a cricket with infected tissue, the mantis can have digestion problems. 

Healthy crickets cannibalize sick dying or dead crickets that may have infection.

We always seem to forget that bad flies also kill mantises.

If the mantis is hunting its cricket in its enclosure, make sure the mantis enclosure is clean and not soggy with spray runoff that can pick up mantis poop. If a cricket should traverse through this 'mud', that can't be good either.

Good luck!

 

[MantisMart]

Their innards should be flushed out with moisture rich veggies if you bought them (always best  to culture them yourself). You are feeding grains and that's GREAT!

Does cricket food and cricket water from PetSmart work the same? Like the tiny dry pebbles and the water crystals. I have someone who uses the cricket feeder and i'm trying to do research for her. 

 

[hysteresis]

Does cricket food and cricket water from PetSmart work the same? Like the tiny dry pebbles and the water crystals. I have someone who uses the cricket feeder and i'm trying to do research for her. 

When I used crickets, I fed them apples and cucumber and lettuce. Some 'cricket chow' grain based food. You can use water crystals to safely water them yes, but if a cricket chomps away at cucumber. that's likely all the water they need. I basically feed my dubia the same way. Since I acquired my dubia and established a good colony, I have stopped using crickets completely.

 

[Gaylordlizard]

@Gaylordlizard 

I have come to understand from several professional-level breeders that the use of banded crickets is common and safe.

They say it's all in the keeping and care you put into them. Their cricket bin must be clean and dry.

Their innards should be flushed out with moisture rich veggies if you bought them (always best  to culture them yourself). You are feeding grains and that's GREAT!

Feeding crickets doesn't usually end up with sickness. Far from it. But poorly-kept crickets can certainly kill your mantis.

If the crickets ingest a pathogen, they can spread it to your mantis. If your mantis eats a cricket with infected tissue, the mantis can have digestion problems. 

Healthy crickets cannibalize sick dying or dead crickets that may have infection.

We always seem to forget that bad flies also kill mantises.

If the mantis is hunting its cricket in its enclosure, make sure the mantis enclosure is clean and not soggy with spray runoff that can pick up mantis poop. If a cricket should traverse through this 'mud', that can't be good either.

Good luck!

Thank you so much! That was really helpful. Tbh, I didn't realize the extra work of taking care of the crickets also. But I do notice that the bin I keep the crickets in gets dirty specks pretty quickly...i'm gunna put in more research though.