Ghost Mantis

[Ratmosphere]

Would a small water cap be sufficient in providing hydration to a L2 ghost mantis? Or would misting be a better option?

 

[chanda]

I always mist my mantises instead of providing water dishes. The nymphs are so small that I worry about drowning if I had a dish of some sort. Besides, with really small dishes like a water bottle cap, they dry out so quickly and it's kind of a pain to refill them. It's so much quicker and easier to just give everyone a quick spritz.

 

[KevinsWither]

I would mist them with a spray bottle filled with chlorinated water.

 

[Inkedewok]

I put a small sponge with my mantis and re soak it every few days . I catch her climbing on it and drinking from it often

 

[chanda]

I would mist them with a spray bottle filled with chlorinated water.

Chlorinated water? Isn't that potentially bad for them? I use reverse osmosis filtered water to get all the chlorine and other contaminants out.

 

[chanda]

I put a small sponge with my mantis and re soak it every few days . I catch her climbing on it and drinking from it often

Do you have problems with mold/mildew on the sponge? I used sponges when I first started keeping mantises and they usually got pretty gross after awhile. Now I just use (dry) sponges to plug the feeding holes in the lids and mist for water.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Thanks guys!

 

[KevinsWither]

Chlorinated water? Isn't that potentially bad for them? I use reverse osmosis filtered water to get all the chlorine and other contaminants out.

I mean dechlorinated water. I was typing this on my phone and autocorrect made it wrong. My bad.

 

[Ranitomeya]

I'd stay away from using standing sources of water and wet sponges for hydration. Both are excellent ways to sicken and kill your mantis if bacterial growth occurs.
Even if you change it every day, just letting their own poop or leftover food parts drop onto either source of water to contaminate it and not getting around to changing the water before the mantis takes a drink can result in them puking, refusing food, and ultimately dying. I recommend spraying a little water on the walls of the enclosure where they can reach it so that they can drink from it before it dries within a few hours.

 

[Jacob Ma]

@Ranitomeya Not only that, but mantises would much rather drink droplets off of the side as it is most accessible and they do not have to go on the ground to drink from the bowls. Ghost mantises are known for their extreme hardiness as they do live in the savannas of Africa, so they can go without water for quite a bit, especially since mantises get most of their water from their food anyways. I would know this because I have had and still have ghosts, which at one point some young nymphs accidentally went two weeks without water (out-of-town matters) and I came back with them completely fine.

 

[Inkedewok]

Do you have problems with mold/mildew on the sponge? I used sponges when I first started keeping mantises and they usually got pretty gross after awhile. Now I just use (dry) sponges to plug the feeding holes in the lids and mist for water.

No . I throw them out after a couple uses . I buy packs at the dollar store and cut them into tiny pieces . Or I will get the magic grow sponge capsules in the toy section . $12 for a dollar . They work perfect and they are the shape of dinosaurs..so win win