Worms and Crickets?

[pmantiz]

I always find little worms in the soil in my backyard when im gardening. they are about 1 cenimter long (most of them, but some i find are 2 inches). I beleive they are Earthworms? I know this might sound unusual but can i feed worms to my Mantis Nymph? And i have another question. I keep live plants (small ones) in my mantis tank. When i buy crickets from the petstore, do i have to take care of the crickets for a while, (2-3 days) or just put the crickets right in as the will feed on the plants? Because I've heard buying crickets from the pet store and then just putting them right in is bad and can kill you....I don't want my cute little mantis to die.

 

[pmantiz]

Oh, sorry, not "can kill you" i meant the mantis. :lol: Wow i can't speak properly today

 

[hibiscusmile]

you speak like me! They say it will harm the mantis sometimes. I have not experienced it myself, but others say don't do it. The plants should be OK as long as you know they are not poisonous in any way. The earthworms and any outside imo is ok if they want to eat it, mine like slugs... yuck, poo, nasty...but they do. I cannot even watch them eat them . Just be careful that what you feed them is as far as you know free of chemicals and won't eat the matis and it should be ok.

 

[sk8erkho]

When I get my cricket from the local pet store, first I try to look inside the tank they are kept in to see the condition of the tank and crickets. Sometimes, they are really cruddy and the crix die off in large numbers. :angry: I find that knowing when they come in gives you the best chance to get decent healthy ones. Then when I get them home I change their diet and give them clean fresh water via a sea sponge in a little top, or you can just get crix food made for them. After a few days the sickly ones will begin to die off. Then I pluck the deadness out and the rest is for my babies. I try to imagine what I feed them being also good for my mantids. Sometimes, I put fresh orange slices in and the bedding in the tank I keep them in is rabbit food I buy by the pound. This really cuts down on the stinky smelliness and they eat the rabbit food sometimes. I also put inside the tank a toilet paper roll for them to take shelter in.

Then I found a little 2"x2" cup which I now have full of potting soil so that this time when the female reaches maturity and mates she can begin to lay eggs inside the cup. Then when I refresh them the next time, that's when I will remove the cup and put it in it's own space and treat it so that the crix can incubate there, and when they hatch will have their own little setup. This will be my first try at breeding my own crix!!

I get them at mico size for my L-2-4s And they grow to 1/2- 3/4" by the time it's time for me to grab a new bunch!

 

[pmantiz]

Thanks guys :lol: i want to keep a mealworm colony for my mantis. are mealworms daily good for the mantis? or just every once in a while. and if u keep a cricket colony raised by urselves, would it be any danger to ur mantis? (by the way, when i say by myself i mean good raising :lol: ) yes im new at keeping a mantis..

 

[Rick]

Thanks guys :lol: i want to keep a mealworm colony for my mantis. are mealworms daily good for the mantis? or just every once in a while. and if u keep a cricket colony raised by urselves, would it be any danger to ur mantis? (by the way, when i say by myself i mean good raising :lol: ) yes im new at keeping a mantis..

There is really no danger associated with crickets. I order them online in bulk and keep them in a clean enclosure and feed them dry cat food and leafy greens. No issues if they're being well cared for.

IMO mealworms are not a good primary food.