Whats the best food to feed my L4 ghosts?

[beckyl92]

I was gonna order some Drosophilia hyde fruit flies but would they not be too small?

 

[Emile.Wilson]

house flies would probably be best option

 

[beckyl92]

house flies would probably be best option

ive got a few to feed though so ited be hard to catch them daily and you can't buy them off the internet :/ i was recently feeding them extra small brown crickets but they all just died even though i gave them food and water.. pretty annoying.

 

[beckyl92]

i just found some mini meal worms on the internet (13-18mm) are they okay for ghost mantids?

 

[PhilinYuma]

ive got a few to feed though so ited be hard to catch them daily and you can't buy them off the internet :/ i was recently feeding them extra small brown crickets but they all just died even though i gave them food and water.. pretty annoying.

Yes you can! A number of merchants, like Mantis Place and SpiderPharm will send you housefly pupae.

Oops! I'd forgotten that you live in Manchester!

You might want to try:http://www.dragonscrest.co.uk/forums/other-flies/583-curly-wings-musca-domestica.html and p.m. some of the members who posted on it.

 

[beckyl92]

Yes you can! A number of merchants, like Mantis Place and SpiderPharm will send you housefly pupae.Oops! I'd forgotten that you live in Manchester!

You might want to try:http://www.dragonscrest.co.uk/forums/other-flies/583-curly-wings-musca-domestica.html and p.m. some of the members who posted on it.

are mini meal worms a no for ghost mantids then? x) i hate flies

 

[Katnapper]

House flies would be perfect. But I doubt buying pupae from MantisPlace or SpiderPharm would work with you in the UK. Mealworms are OK... if you can get the mantids to eat them! I only bought them once, and my mantids either weren't interested at all, turned up their nose at them, or ran away. But people do use them as feeders... so some mantids obviously will eat them!

Do you know of a place locally where they keep livestock, a farm, horse stables, garbage dump? Maybe you could get some flies at a place like one of these if you ask nicely.

Also there is the fish bait shop. Most sell spikes (fly maggots) for fishing bait. You could buy some of these and hatch the flies out yourself... keeping the excess in the fridge, taking them out as you need them.

 

[beckyl92]

House flies would be perfect. But I doubt buying pupae from MantisPlace or SpiderPharm would work with you in the UK. Mealworms are OK... if you can get the mantids to eat them! I only bought them once, and my mantids either weren't interested at all, turned up their nose at them, or ran away. But people do use them as feeders... so some mantids obviously will eat them! Do you know of a place locally where they keep livestock, a farm, horse stables, garbage dump? Maybe you could get some flies at a place like one of these if you ask nicely.

Also there is the fish bait shop. Most sell spikes (fly maggots) for fishing bait. You could buy some of these and hatch the flies out yourself... keeping the excess in the fridge, taking them out as you need them.

I really don't think i could keep fly eggs in my fridge xD

my mum would freak out.

thanks for the reply hehe

 

[cloud jaguar]

I really don't think i could keep fly eggs in my fridge xDmy mum would freak out.

Just tell her they are "wild rice"

 

[Katnapper]

Just tell her they are "wild rice"

:lol: Good idea, Roland! Uhhh.... until her mum decides she wants to try it because she loves wild rice! :blink:

 

[beckyl92]

:lol: Good idea, Roland! Uhhh.... until her mum decides she wants to try it because she loves wild rice! :blink:

haha! xD

hmm what do you think would be better for ghost mantids meal worms or locust? i heard locust can fly and they like flying insects so yeah

 

[Katnapper]

haha! xDhmm what do you think would be better for ghost mantids meal worms or locust? i heard locust can fly and they like flying insects so yeah

I think they'd take to small locusts better. Just be sure they're not too big, as Ghosts seem to get scared easily by too large a food item. Kind of ironic, huh.... instead of Ghosts doing the scaring... :lol:

 

[beckyl92]

I think they'd take to small locusts better. Just be sure they're not too big, as Ghosts seem to get scared easily by too large a food item. Kind of ironic, huh.... instead of Ghosts doing the scaring... :lol:

okay thanks

they're not as annoying as crickets are they? i found it really hard to put a cricket in their cage ¬¬

 

[Rick]

bluebottle flies

 

[bassist]

Put the feeders in the fridge or freezer for a bit they slow down/pass out so it'll be easier to feed them to the mantises.

I feed fourth instar ghosts: Blue bottle flies, house flies, moths, small grasshoppers, spiders, and have one that is brave enough to take crane flies.

 

[agent A]

i just found some mini meal worms on the internet (13-18mm) are they okay for ghost mantids?

Mealworms are of no nutritional value to a mantis and are hard to digest.

 

[superfreak]

Mealworms are of no nutritional value to a mantis and are hard to digest.

Haha, no nutritional value? Really? Whats your source?

 

[jameslongo]

Mealworms are of no nutritional value to a mantis and are hard to digest.

ROFL

 

[Geart]

Are fruitflies really to small ? I still feed my L5 ghost's with them.