What to do? Old Mantis!

[bigblade]

I don't know if this is a health issue I just wasn't sure where to ask this question. I have a African mantis that is currently 11 months old she has entered her final stages of life ie: not eating, drinking, or moving. Should I leave her alone to die in peace? Or should I help her along?  I had a mantis that mis-molted on her final molt she couldn't fend for herself could barely walk I ended up popping her into the freezer, it tore me apart(crying over an insect) but they are such cool little creatures.
Advice? Thoughts?    

 

[crabbypatty]

Have you tried hand feeding? I hand feed some of mine a well as give them water from a dropper. It might help her life a little easier, and perhaps help her live a longer. The last one I put down could barely hang and could not eat even with hand feeding, so I put her down. It's a hard thing to do, but I did my best before making that decision.

 

[CosbyArt]

@bigblade Personally I let nature take it's course unless it is obviously suffering (thrashing around violently (death throes), and such) than I will intervene.

If it is unable to eat I will hand feed it if possible (prey from tweezers, thumbtack method, offering 100% honey from a toothpick, etc), and try to keep it alive and healthy as long as possible. I find most of my mantids that die naturally do so typically in a single day overnight more often than not. My last adult did that, ate her feeder (much slower than normal, I knew she was dying) and when the lights turned on the next day she was already deceased.

Although, I tend to place recently deceased mantids and into the freezer as well (48 hours or more) to ensure it isn't still alive and just unable to move as it is nearly dead (I've had it happen in the past and some would spring back to life after a day, and the visible suffering continued). Afterwards I bury them in my backyard, as the thought of pinning them or such isn't for me.

 

[Zeppy44]

When it comes to end of life issues, at what ever level, for me the big factor is pain. I try to let nature take its course unless the pain is so obvious. Then the choice is how to finish the cycle as fast and painless as can. Freezer is faster than fridge.

However, I do not recommend the freezer or fridge for humans. Raises way too many questions!    :huh:

 

[bigblade]

She finally passed on tonight. She started to go down hill a week ago after my dad found a cricket running around  the house "I have reptiles" I don't like offering crickets unattended because they can do some harm while the mantis is eating. Sadly that is what happened on top of her being old the cricket damaged her mouth and she would no longer feed "even by hand". She would do nothing that required her to move her mouth. She even stopped grooming. A few days after that she laid one more infertile ooth and she went downhill quickly after that. 

Have you tried hand feeding?

 

[crabbypatty]

@bigblade Sorry to hear that

 

[CosbyArt]

@bigblade Sorry for your loss Leslie, it is one of the downsides of the hobby being unable to do much for health issues.

 

[Jessie]

Sorry for your loss.