What's up with my ghosts?!?!

[LauraMG]

So, I started out with 5 L1 ghosts. I lost 1 to cannibalism when they were still L1, which surprised me because they had plenty of food, but whatever, stuff happens. Come around to L2 with the remaining 4 and I lost another one to cannibalism. Ok, ok, ok, more sticks and hiding places to allow for escape just in case one gets snippy, whatever. Well, the remaining 3 just molted to L3 last week and today I come home to find one has just dropped dead! LITERALLY! He was hanging from a twig and when I moved the cup he fell and I saw he was deceased. What is going on here?!?! Did I get a bad stock of ghosts or what? For being an easy beginners species, I sure am having a lot of trouble with them! Is this just the nature of the beast? I spray them everyday and make sure they have some food items in there everyday (sometimes they don't need any) and every other species I have does great under these same conditions. Boo, I'm upset. I love my little aliens.

 

[kitkat39]

I was pretty frustrated when I only had a few and kept them communally too. They didn't drop dead like yours did except for when they were L1, but they did eat each other for no apparent reason. I had no problems when I separated them out individually into 32 oz containers though. Since you've only got 3 left, mating later on down the line could be a pain too.. lol! You might luck out and have a male that's a stud muffin, but my first male.. man did he drive me nuts!

 

[LauraMG]

Since you've only got 3 left....

Sorry if I wasn't clear. The third was the drop dead one. I only have 2. Ugh

 

[angelofdeathzz]

I am sorry Laura for your losses,I have felt your pain too many times myself with my Idolo's and my Gongy. :no:

I don't think these breeds know, there not supposed to eat each other... LOL :angry:

they makia me crazy!!! :wacko:

 

[more_rayne]

I just had one molt unsuccessfully molted into adulthood yesterday. I mist them twice a day so humidity is plenty high, maybe he fell. Only have problems with them molting, never had them eat each other.

 

[kitkat39]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. The third was the drop dead one. I only have 2. Ugh

Even worse =Þ:::

 

[Rick]

Ensuring a good food supply is no guarantee against cannabilism. That is one of those common misconceptions.

 

[kitkat39]

Ensuring a good food supply is no guarantee against cannabilism. That is one of those common misconceptions.

I've found that out the hard way a few times.. lol

 

[Rvernon]

Wow, am I glad I read this!!! I thought (for some reason I don't know) that cannabolism was not a problem with ghosts, I I have my 4 L3s alltogether. I will have to seperate them tomorrow!!!

And Laura so sorry for your misfortune.

Thanks

 

[LauraMG]

Wow, am I glad I read this!!! I thought (for some reason I don't know) that cannabolism was not a problem with ghosts, I I have my 4 L3s alltogether. I will have to seperate them tomorrow!!!

And Laura so sorry for your misfortune.

Thanks

Well, the ghosts are a more communal species. There's people on here who have had no problem keeping them and raising them communally, but I'm just not that lucky I guess! You should probably separate to be safe.

 

[MrPitseleh]

I think it makes sense that they'd Eat Eachother. If I was a mantis with other mantids I'd Eat them before they ate me plus that'd mean more bugs for me. :lol:

 

[sporeworld]

Hmmmm... I've had tremendous sucess keeping Ghosts communally. Concerning cannibalism, maybe it's the food types. I had a few issue when I fed mine crickets, but virtually none when I moved to flies (they REALLY seem to prefer them). FF's for L1, L2, but I'm pretty sure they were on house flies no later than L3. Then nothing but Blue Bottles (and the occassional moth) after that.

Concerning dropping dead, I'd look at ventilation. By L3, I've got them in screen cages and daily misting and they flurish. I think in the last 200 I've seen MAYBE 2 mysterious deaths, which I blamed on interrupted molting (siblings crawling over, flies disturbing, etc). I had several sickly mantids of other species when I raised them in plastic containers exclusively, and I choked most of them up to poor housekeeping on my part (frass+debri+hudity+stagnation=desease). I know it was a big killer of my silkworm cats.

In a previous post, someone mentioned installing a fan on their containers, and I imagine just aiming one across the top (think "airbrush") would work too - pulling the air out the top. One fan - many containers.

Any of that jibe with what you're experiencing...?

 

[LauraMG]

Any of that jibe with what you're experiencing...?

They're in well ventilated screen top cups and I feed them hydei flies. I attempted to feed them houseflies, but they are still resistant to such large prey because they HF are about the same size as the ghosts. I wish I had some explanation

 

[sporeworld]

Hmmm. What about temperature...?

 

[LauraMG]

Hmmm. What about temperature...?

Room temp, between 76 and 80