(Northeast Ohio) Help! I've bred about 120 too many mantids and don't know where to go with them

[lordbaldr]

So over the summer I cought some mantids. Come august, I found a male, so I mated these wild caught chinese mantids and was pretty proud with the Ooth I got. Next week, I realized I was running out of room for my 8 mantids, so I released them after three weeks of captivity. By mid september, I realized that I had forgotten to cool them, and after telling asking him to move them for me, my brother actually relocated the container not where I had told him to, but next to the heating vent. Now in mid november, I don't have enough containers for the little guys, I lack a large enough fruit fly culture, and I just want to get rid of most of the darn things. Do you guys know where I could go to advertise the mantids so that someone could pick them up or order them cheap? I'm not looking for money, I'd rather just give them to suitable keepers, but if I must I'd be willing to just ship the second instar mantid nymphs if shipping and the cost of packaging would be paid in advance. I'm getting desperate here and need help, so even advice on temporary feeding/enclosure/how to pack them up would be much appreciated. If anyone wants to see how swamped I am, here's the ooth that hatched and all its children. Also, I'm pretty sure I've read that the nymphs won't cannibalize each other. So thinning them like some tarantula species like lasiodora parahybana won't work, Right? I just want to get rid of them, preferably while making a keeper happy with a good deal and my own clean conscience, so I really hope giving them away is on the table, and I'm not just going to have to freeze them.

 

[chanda]

The nymphs will definitely cannibalize each other! If you are unable to find homes for them and don't separate them, they will eat each other.

While just letting them eat each other may sound bad on the surface, the reality is that these are predatory insects and they are going to have to kill and eat something in order to survive and grow up, so what difference does it make if they are feeding on crickets - or on surplus siblings?

You can just leave them where they are and allow nature to take its course until the population is down to manageable levels - then separate out those that you wish to keep and house them individually.

 

[lordbaldr]

The nymphs will definitely cannibalize each other! If you are unable to find homes for them and don't separate them, they will eat each other.

While just letting them eat each other may sound bad on the surface, the reality is that these are predatory insects and they are going to have to kill and eat something in order to survive and grow up, so what difference does it make if they are feeding on crickets - or on surplus siblings?

You can just leave them where they are and allow nature to take its course until the population is down to manageable levels - then separate out those that you wish to keep and house them individually.

Well that's a relief! I thought that there was no threat of cannibalism, but if the new babies do thin the herd with their fratricide, then I am by all means content with that.

 

[Mila]

you could always just release the babies and see how they get on. they make for amazing pest control in your garden.

 

[lordbaldr]

you could always just release the babies and see how they get on. they make for amazing pest control in your garden.

The only issue there is that it has already just begun snowing about a week ago, and the weather is only going to get worse as the season progresses. Luckily, I might have some already fully grown mantids by spring, from the looks of it, so that will be on the table in the far future of next year.

 

[MantisRCool]

Yep they will cannibalize. Most species do, I breed mantids and I usually let them thin out a little, cause some hatch in hundreds and it's impossible to care for all of them individually, let alone sell them all. Plus if they are specie who need diapause, their young won't be very strong anyways at least that's what I've heard. Also I recommend joining a Mantis Keepers group on facebook if u want to learn more about them and maybe find someone to get them off your hands

 

[MatisIsLoveMantisIsLyf]

Well, for the first weeks, let them unfed, so the weak die. If you want to keep the strong, just let them eat each other.