I've made a terrible miscalculation! I figured I had time to get the Ooth and put them away for next year. My female had laid them in the top screen and the plants and I didn't want to disassemble the terrarium while she was still living in it. Honestly I figured she would naturally die soon (or would have already!) But she is still alive and kicking. WELL, While I was in the shower, my husband yells in to me "HEY! Baby mantises are coming out of the 'egg'!" ...So I tried to rinse off and hurry to see and he starts yelling "OH! she's EATING them!" Of course she is!!! When I got out to see she was literally eating them by clawfuls, like popcorn, as the emerged! UGH! I Got her out of there and put her in a cricket keeper I emptied out (lizards & frogs got a big meal!) Now there's a ton of them, it's way too cold to release any and if I try and take to top off to take the other ooths out all the babies will go everywhere, so I expect in a week I'll have even MORE. WOW, this was stupid of me. I really don't know WHAT I am going to do with them all!
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 11:39 am
The slightly more practical side of me thinks it may have been best just to let mama sit there and cull the numbers down for you. It can seem cold, but mantises eat insects and we feed them insects so in that sense it isn't any crueler than when we feed crickets.
The other option to cull numbers is to simply let the babies cull themselves down. In a few days they will start cannibalizing and eventually you will end up with a more manageable number.
If however you can't bare the thought of loosing more than you have to, which would probably be me in your shoes, then your only really option is to get some cheap containers like deli cups and start separating. For now I would give your cage a quick mist to let everyone have a drink and then sit down for a few minutes and collect your thoughts. Any chance you have some friends/relatives that could use some baby mantises as a Christmas present? blaugh
Krissim Klaw Crew
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Charivari
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Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 1:01 pm
Oh! This happened to me when I was 11. What we tried to do was get a plant with aphids on it (we went to a greenhouse and bought a plant with aphids so the mantis babies would possibly eat them.)
We tried to put the babies in a cage with that plant and hope they would live, but it was just too late. You could try to do what I did, but I can't say it will work sweatdrop
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:19 pm
Momma seems to be settling in to her new enclosure just fine. She has to be pretty old for a Chinese mantis now! The babies seem to be doing well so far. They are all drinking and I've seen a few hunting & eating the flightless fruit flies I got them. I keep finding babies out of the terrarium though... one ran across the top of my computer monitor this morning as I checked my mail! And it seems like every time I open the door to put a stray back, 3 more jump out! *sigh* rolleyes
imderanged
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imderanged
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 3:40 pm
Momma laid ANOTHER ooth in her new tank! how may of these will she lay?!? this is # 4 so far!
Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:17 am
Is it conspiracy to take over? Joking aside. How is the battle going?
Semi-related out of curiosity question- How long do they live for as pets?
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