Whoo Hoo! More Babies!

[ladygigi]

15 more 1st Instars hatched today! That brings my total close to 50, so far I've had no losses with the exception of a very few in the beginning due to cannibalism before I got them separated.

Being disabled, being prepared or not makes all the difference in the world. Surprises throw me off and make things very difficult. However, if I can know what to expect, then I can better prepare myself and not get thrown off into a tailspin when certain events or situations take place. Thus the reason I was asking the questions I was asking in my last post. I just wanted to be able to prepare myself for what may lie ahead. I truly believe in the philosophy that failing to plan is planning to fail. I'm not now, nor hopefully ever will be, a complainer. I'm a fighter, and when I get into something, I stick it out to the end. No matter how it is that I got into it. I guess my last post came across on the wrong note and many of you thought I was complaining about my situation. Thus, the advice I got from many of you.

I've already sold some of my nymphs and start shipping next week. If anyone else is interested, please PM me and I will be glad to discuss selling some to you. It may be a few days before I get an ad posted. So please feel free to contact me by private message.

I'm also well aware of my options to reduce numbers when it comes to the nymphs as far as releasing some of them, allowing some to cannibalize, and etc. So, while I know many of you meant well, what I was looking for was a way to be more prepared, not a way out.

 

[jrh3]

i can help you some, depending on how many you keep, what i do is always try to offer larger food each time they molt. 1 housefly can equal 5 to 10 hydei. this way you cut down on quantity of feeders. and to keep fruit flycolonies. each week i make a few culture if i need them or not. you never know if one is gonna crash. when you get house flies, i put them in a 32oz deli cupin a media so they lay eggs and i can get a few generations from them, rhey do stink bad. enough food is the key with mantids. and always too many feeders is often found to be just enough, lol.

to feed a house fly , i even feed wild ones, i put in the fridge for 20 min. so they are stunned then they wont fly away.

 

[ladygigi]

i can help you some, depending on how many you keep, what i do is always try to offer larger food each time they molt. 1 housefly can equal 5 to 10 hydei. this way you cut down on quantity of feeders. and to keep fruit flycolonies. each week i make a few culture if i need them or not. you never know if one is gonna crash. when you get house flies, i put them in a 32oz deli cupin a media so they lay eggs and i can get a few generations from them, rhey do stink bad. enough food is the key with mantids. and always too many feeders is often found to be just enough, lol.

to feed a house fly , i even feed wild ones, i put in the fridge for 20 min. so they are stunned then they wont fly away.

On the HF's you mentioned even wild ones. That's what I've been using, especially for Skittles. I have a dog, so all I have to do is go out into my backyard! LOL :lol: As far as putting them in the fridge, I've been using the freezer for about 2-3 mins., seems to work just as well. I'm waiting on a delivery of some Hydei today. I'm gonna make some cultures up tonight. Was gonna get them made yesterday, but my new little hatchlings kind of set me back on my plans! :mellow: So thanks for the info. One question - How long before I should feed my 1st Instars? I'm asking because I noticed that I fed the ones that had been born the evening they were born but they did not eat. Should I wait like 24-48 hours after they are born before I feed them?

 

[patrickfraser]

Iris oratoria need melanogaster fruit flies at L1, because they are so tiny. Hydei were too big for mine and I didn't have mels,, so I let mine cannibalize until they were big enough for hydei.

 

[ladygigi]

Iris oratoria need melanogaster fruit flies at L1, because they are so tiny. Hydei were too big for mine and I didn't have mels,, so I let mine cannibalize until they were big enough for hydei.

Yes, I've been feeding them Mels. But these guys have been hatching for weeks now and I have some that are already L3's. ^_^ Thus the Hydeis and Stable flies.

 

[MantidLord]

If you're ever low on food, you can always go outside and find some aphids. Before I started doing my own ff cultures, I'd feed my L1s aphids. And I was able to feed mine hydei. I didn't need melanogaster. Petsmart only sold flightless hydei at the time so I had to settle for them. Worked just fine.