animalgirl555
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2023
- Messages
- 15
my praying mantis just had a bad molt. It's legs and arms are crooked although it is able to stand. How should I hand-feed it?
hand-feeding praying mantis after bad molt
- Thread starter animalgirl555
- Start date
HooahArmy
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2022
- Messages
- 252
I've had this happen plenty of times, my condolences, bud. I hope this litte guide can cover all your bases and any others that other board folks may have. Please feel free to follow up if you have more questions. I rescue a lot of disabled mantids from my yard who try and fail to molt during dry weather.
If the mantis can't move at all:
Depending on the size of your pal, choose a cricket, roach, or mealworm of appropriate size and crush the head. After the prey has fully stopped moving, hold it with tweezers near your homie's mouth and wait for him/her to start munching. On sensing the prey, he/she almost immediately will. You may keep holding the prey there, prop it next to your buddy's head, or lean it on a nearby object. As for water, use a dropper to place single drops near your pal's head a few times a day. He/she will find it and drink, yet if they do not, you can gently guide their head near the water. They usually will start moving their mandibles immediately if they're thirsty. No worries if their face is in the water; bugs don't breathe from noses or mouths. Mist on occasion per their species' humidity need, but don't let they lie in water!
I keep a fully disabled mantis in a completely bare enclosure that I clean as often as possible. They don't need decor since they can't move and clutter will only increase mildew. You may or may not need to gently cotton swab away poop from their bottom for them.
If the mantis can move but is shaky:
Stun prey and hold it with tweezers or tongs to try to entice them to eat. If they can grab on and feed themselves, yay! If not, try the above method and kill they prey, letting the mantis grab on their own if they can. If they still cannot, you may need to hold they prey for them or prop it on something. Water needs will still be the same if they're mobile as well. Mist the walls and anything they can reach, but observe to see if your pal is drinking. If not, you may use a pipette and dab him/her some droplets. Mist on occasion to their species' needs and only fill the enclosure with enough things to grab and perch, yet not too much that they may fall and be trapped between two items.
How to prevent a bad molt in the future:
Bad molts are usually caused by dryness. Mist plenty and add damp paper towels (my mantids love to cling to these) to boost and keep humidity.
And the last question I get rather often...
How do I know when my disabled pal isn't going to make it? What do I do? I don't want them to suffer.
If your pal begins to eat less or stop, drink less or stop, or develop dark patches on their body or grow pale, it may be time to say goodbye. A disabled mantis may or may not be able to successfully molt again, and their odds of survival are a gamble. If you feel your pal might be ready to say goodbye, there are ways to humanely help them along rather than allowing them to slowly waste or dehydrate to death. Some people place them in the freezer where the mantis will slow and evneually fall unconscious before the freezing kills them. For others, that's a bit cruel, so they recommend the 'squash' method. While gristly, it's swift and humane. Using tongs, pliers, or even a heavy object, smash the mantis' head as quickly as possible.
If the mantis can't move at all:
Depending on the size of your pal, choose a cricket, roach, or mealworm of appropriate size and crush the head. After the prey has fully stopped moving, hold it with tweezers near your homie's mouth and wait for him/her to start munching. On sensing the prey, he/she almost immediately will. You may keep holding the prey there, prop it next to your buddy's head, or lean it on a nearby object. As for water, use a dropper to place single drops near your pal's head a few times a day. He/she will find it and drink, yet if they do not, you can gently guide their head near the water. They usually will start moving their mandibles immediately if they're thirsty. No worries if their face is in the water; bugs don't breathe from noses or mouths. Mist on occasion per their species' humidity need, but don't let they lie in water!
I keep a fully disabled mantis in a completely bare enclosure that I clean as often as possible. They don't need decor since they can't move and clutter will only increase mildew. You may or may not need to gently cotton swab away poop from their bottom for them.
If the mantis can move but is shaky:
Stun prey and hold it with tweezers or tongs to try to entice them to eat. If they can grab on and feed themselves, yay! If not, try the above method and kill they prey, letting the mantis grab on their own if they can. If they still cannot, you may need to hold they prey for them or prop it on something. Water needs will still be the same if they're mobile as well. Mist the walls and anything they can reach, but observe to see if your pal is drinking. If not, you may use a pipette and dab him/her some droplets. Mist on occasion to their species' needs and only fill the enclosure with enough things to grab and perch, yet not too much that they may fall and be trapped between two items.
How to prevent a bad molt in the future:
Bad molts are usually caused by dryness. Mist plenty and add damp paper towels (my mantids love to cling to these) to boost and keep humidity.
And the last question I get rather often...
How do I know when my disabled pal isn't going to make it? What do I do? I don't want them to suffer.
If your pal begins to eat less or stop, drink less or stop, or develop dark patches on their body or grow pale, it may be time to say goodbye. A disabled mantis may or may not be able to successfully molt again, and their odds of survival are a gamble. If you feel your pal might be ready to say goodbye, there are ways to humanely help them along rather than allowing them to slowly waste or dehydrate to death. Some people place them in the freezer where the mantis will slow and evneually fall unconscious before the freezing kills them. For others, that's a bit cruel, so they recommend the 'squash' method. While gristly, it's swift and humane. Using tongs, pliers, or even a heavy object, smash the mantis' head as quickly as possible.