Feeding Mantids

[MantisNewb]

I've just got my first mantis, an African Mantis, & I've got a question about feeding.

I know what to feed her - crickets, flies, moths etc but I'm not sure about the best way to do it.

I put a couple of crickets in the cage, & she was obviously interested, but the crickets did'nt come within reach.

24 hours later, & she still had'nt fed so I put the crickets in the fridge for a while & placed them near her. They started to move about & she was soon stuffing her face.

I know that in the wild feeding is a hit & miss affair, & they only need feeding every few days. Still, I was wondering the best way to go about it.

Do you just put the livefood in the cage, & hope for the best or help them out by either feeding them directly or placing food near to them.

I contacted the supplier (www.virginacheeseman.co.uk), & was told the best thing would be to put a number of crickets in, but from what I've read, this could be a problem because of surplus crickets having a go at the mantis, especially when she moults.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Wade]

Excess crickets definately pose a risk to a molting mantid, and they molt fairly frequently while growing.

I keep my mantids in very simple containers, with no substrate that the crickets can hide in. I also provide a way for the crickets to climb up to where the mantid hangs out, usually near the top. A stick will do as a cricket ladder, as will a piece of screen. I like to glue a piece of plastic mesh "artists canvas" (used for making yarn-related crafts) for this purpose. This way, only one or two crickets need to be introduced at a time, and they eventually come within reach of the mantid. If the mantid doesn't eat it fairly soon, it may be approaching a molt.

Wade

 

[Malhavoc's]

I use to keep mantis in a wooden based screen box and jsut throw in a few crix,grasshoppers or occasionaly flies [they luv em cuss their so soft ] Within a few hours the mantis would eventualy have one of the crickets or grasshoppers that tried to climb up.

 

[Linda Bowers]

When I've raised praying mantids I just put some crickets in the cage (2 - 4) and let the mantis alone to grab one. Make sure your cage isn't too big and don't have items for the crickets to hide behind. My cages were sparse -- only a couple of branches for the mantis to be able to navigate from the bottom of the cage to the top and vice versa. I found that both the crickets and the mantids would hang out at the top of the cage. When the mantid is good and hungry he may pursue the cricket! They are very patient though and will wait for what seems an eternity to snatch lunch. Good luck!!

 

[MantisNewb]

I think part of the problem is the size of the cage - 12" dia x 14" high. My mantis is only a little'un as well.

It's a butterfly breeding cage, made of fine mesh, & I got it that size so I could fit a live plant in it. It's meant to be hung up, but I've fitted some dowel uprights so it's self-supporting.

It's stood in a large plant tub saucer, with the plant inside & the pot buried with bark chips.

This setup means there's plenty of hiding places for crickets. There's also a lot of surface area, what with the plant & the mesh on the sides & top.

Looks very cool tho - worth any extra effort involved.

 

[Alex S.]

I often use a pair of 6" forceps and simply grab the cricket by the end of the abdomen or ovipositor and place it within 1.5" to 2" of the mantid and the mantid will capture the prey right out of the forceps. When I feed mantids without forceps I only place one cricket at a time in the enclosure. If the mantid does not eat the cricket in a couple days, I take the prey out and try again later.

Alex S.