When people leave mantid hobby

[cloud jaguar]

I noticed that even since i have been active on this forum many people have joined, been active members, then moved on. During their stay they have actively contributed and debated and really been involved on the forum, then they suddenly leave the hobby. Sometimes they are even missed.

I believe some people on the forum currently have also had periods without mantids and then come back to the hobby. I was wondering why you think people leave the hobby and what makes them come back to it? Also, do you feel you you would like to have times without mantids?

 

[ABbuggin]

I've noticed it too. There was a time about a a year and a half ago where I pretty much stopped keeping them for about 4-6 months. I never lost interest in them, I'm not sure why I took a break. I'm back for good now. B)

 

[Ntsees]

That may be the case for other people, but I've bred and raised mantids for such a very long time now and I don't see myself leaving the mantid hobby anytime soon. Even if I do stop using this forum, I'll still be raising mantids. But for now, I'll help answer questions that people might have.

(you know, one of the things (in addition that I get to help people) that really made me join this forum was that I thought you get to pick what mantid you wanted to be when you became an adult. Darn , it's already predetermined)

 

[d17oug18]

i got into it because of a mantis that became my pet, after that i was catching them, but didnt know a lot of anything besides they eat crickets, i found peters site which led me to this forum, never turned back.

 

[pohchunyee]

People leaves this hobby because of people like Villosa!!! Also, because they could not keep the mantis alive/ could not breed them successfully etc.

 

[Kruszakus]

Well, in Poland mantis rearing is basically dead. Two years ago, when I jumped on the bandwagon, it looked to be growing fast, I was kinda amazed by the influx of interesting species and all the opportunities.

Now this hobby is almost dead. I remember when I could sell nice amounts of nymphs at any time, even those expensive ones, because there were so many people interested in buying stuff - now it's nearly impossible to sell a thing.

So yeah, I noticed that a lot of people are quitting. And the funny thing is - I outlasted most of the people who were telling me that I would quit the hobby fast.

 

[Rick]

I've had times where I had no mantids for months. However, I still visited the boards and was still interested in mantids. People don't have to leave here just because they don't have any mantids.

 

[Katnapper]

I think sometimes people get overwhelmed with time contraints (real job, family obligations), and room for all the "stuff." So they need to take a break.

 

[Rob Byatt]

In the UK there has been a predictable trend for the past 15+ years. New people show an interest in mantids and hit the hobby too hard, they get too many species and try to run before they can walk. Inevitably this ends in frustration and a lack of patience tends to result in them giving up. This is a shame as these are the people that will carry the hobby on.

In recent years money has been a reason to get into the hobby, at least that's what the people involved think Unfortunately for them, they soon realise that they can't make £2.00 a nymph x 200 that hatch from an ootheca They soon disappear.

There seems to be only a very small proportion of people that continue to keep mantids for any length of time; they are just too much work in the long run. If someone sticks with it for 2 years then established breeders tend to keep an eye on them; these individuals could be the future of this hobby.

There are only a handful of breeders in the UK that could potentially still be breeding them in a decade, that shows how specialised the interest is.

Rob.

 

[agent A]

There were times when the only mantids I had were overwintering in the fridge.

 

[kamakiri]

I think sometimes people get overwhelmed with time contraints (real job, family obligations), and room for all the "stuff." So they need to take a break.

Amen to that. A couple of my SoCal neighbors, wuwu and yeatzee, show up from time to time. John (wuwu) was on a break from mantises when I joined up here. I met him while he was checking in to the forum and getting back in...and he's been busy lately so we haven't seen him much again for the last couple of months. If I'm particularly busy at work, you're not going to hear from me much until the task or deadline passes. I think that's all normal.

 

[ABbuggin]

I think sometimes people get overwhelmed with time contraints (real job, family obligations), and room for all the "stuff." So they need to take a break.

Very true. That probably contributed to my break.

 

[animalexplorer]

Katnapper - "I think sometimes people get overwhelmed with time contraints (real job, family obligations), and room for all the "stuff." So they need to take a break."

I joined this group back in 2007 and started with only 2 species; P.wahlbergii and H.coronatus. I wasn't really an active member but I was lurking in the shadows reading the post, mostly on care of mantids. I have some time now so I'm right back into the fun hobby, with 15 species currently. I kind of wished I never dropped the ball and stayed in the game, but its business and family matters that take priority.

 

[Ricardo]

I didn't have mantids for a while but not by choice. It was so hard to get a hold of them . . .

I have ONE mantis as of now. He is everything

 

[Mr.Mantid]

Once October/November rolls around I get rid of all my mantids and pick it up again during March/April. I do not have extra money to heat them.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

There is a very good chance I will leave the mantis hobby as in break off contact with other mantis peeps. I know I have gone through periods where I am less active if not completely inactive in places like this guild. That being said, keeping mantises themselves is not a hobby for me. They are my pets and a pet I very much enjoy. I don't breed them to sell, I don't collect them like pokemon, and I rarely have more than 2-3 at a time.

I have discovered I am not a very nice or happy person when there isn't a mantis in my life. Some people have cigarettes I have my mantids. Mantis addiction anyone? Sorry, I have no plans to go to rehab either. I'm taking this addiction with me to the grave.

 

[jandl2204]

Interesting that this point should be brought up (albeit that the thread was opened some time ago)

I did not totally stop keeping mantis but rather reduced dramatically the number I kept. Frankly the reason was quite simple, i did not have enough time to keep them adequately.

I have just stepped out of a most intensive period of postgraduate study, followed by a period of training with a top UK law firm. Time has been an asset I had little of.

From my observations, looking more specifically at those I knew in the UK, individuals who did attempt with varying degrees of success to keep mantis, and at times sell may, have backed out and for good reason.

Many of then are relatively young, they like myself are at the point were they are committing themselves to study, and obviously later to work, so clearly they will suffer from similar time constraints.

Others will naturally have bouts of interest, whilst some may have other pressing personal reasons to not be involved in the hobby. I am for example aware of one person who simply does not have a good enough income to folly with such indulgences. Noting of course the impact of the recession upon (and in particular) graduates, who are typically debt ridden and now ushered into poorly paid positions.

Clearly these are simply my observations and I have at this time only focused upon fragments of the issue.

Kind regards,

Lee

 

[Arwen9]

I think sometimes people get overwhelmed with time contraints (real job, family obligations), and room for all the "stuff." So they need to take a break.

It was that for me.

I'd kept the "common" praying mantis species in North America for several years in high school, but when I went to college (and into the dorms) I wasn't allowed to bring such things with me. Wonder why my roommates refused.... :lol:

Then I had to pay off my college with my job and find a place to stay and well, suddenly it had been 5 years without a mantis peering at me. Quite lonely.

So I got started again after stumbling across this site, and here I am, trying to get my mantis legs under me again. B)

 

[hibiscusmile]

mantis lets, good one :tt2: