What to do in the meantime until houseflies arrive?!

[wetterdew]

I have 2 ghosts and 3 carolinas, and they're all molting into L5 starting yesterday.  One ghost and one carolina have molted, and the other 3 should molt some time in the next few days.  The thing is, I've only been feeding them melanogaster flies up till now.  They've been eating them fine, but I can tell that they should be eating larger bugs now, so I am ordering houseflies.

In the meantime, until the houseflies arrive, would it be fruitless to try to give them melanogasters? (LOL)

Will the newly molted L5s still eat and thrive on the fruit flies as long as I give them a lot of them, or do I need to go out and hunt some larger bugs until my houseflies arrive?  I could buy crickets from Petsmart, but I'm afraid the crickets will fight back.  (I guess I could remove their hind legs and maybe behead them before putting them in the cups, but I doubt the mantises would go for that)

 

[Teamonger]

I would think they would be fine with a ton of fruit flies so long as they are eating them, but I don't know for certain.

I would stay away from crickets unless desperate. Its not that they fight back so much as they might carry the cricket virus that will kill your mantises. I know for sure here in Canada NS Petsmart sells house crickets which are far more susceptible to the virus then the banded crickets I some times use from other sources.

As an alternative method to running around outside like a nut trying to hunt flies (I know I've been there and had all the folks in the neighborhood looking at me funny as I traipse through the bushes) might I suggest: 

 

[Serle]

I am not a big fan of crickets , they are filthy , if you get 2 week olds your nymphs should not have a problem ..  S

 

[Zeppy44]

Will they flourish with just FF till other food is ready? In a real pinch survive is the object. FF if enough and they eat should keep alive and in reasonable shape I would think. I really think most overfeed. The forum has cases of going weeks without food. BUT that is NOT young nymphs. And was not done on purpose.

 

[Zeppy44]

If you use crickets I would suggest gut cleaning before feeding. By that I mean give them 3 days or so to pass thru what ever they ate in store. Understand carrots are not good for mantis by way of crickets. I used crickets during the winter No problems other than lot of dead and smell. Last resort for me. LOL I live in horse and cattle country. House flies just seem like family that never goes home. Just a few no big deal less they keep buzzin ya.  Others times it is "YOU ALL GET OUT and go somewhere else, dang it!"  (for the youngins)

 

[wetterdew]

I will probably get my flies in about a week.  For now I'm gonna try to feed them lots of fruit flies and I'll see if I can catch some flies from outside.  Maybe I'll put some rotting meat by the porch to see if I can attract flies.  I'll make BigDazz's trap if I can find the parts!

We do get moths by the front porch at night, but unfortunately I also have some extremely cute house geckos who chill by the light all night and eat any bugs who come near!

 

[Digger]

If you have a porch light and are living in a relatively warm climate..turn on the light at dusk. I have six L3 Tenodera sinensis and even at that small size they LOVE tiny moths or damselflies. Wild caught are more nutritious to boot.  Here's a small moth caught at my porch light last night.  That's Jet holding on for dear life.  She ate everything (as expected).