Mantid food question

[joeyboy]

Hey guys, i know with lizards you need to give supplements and the like, do i need to do this with my mantid? I haven't been doing it so far, it's shedded twice successfully( i got it at L3).

I buy locusts generally and feed them sliced apples and cabbage, should i buy some special gut-load food or do thing it's ok for a mantid just to eat them without it.

Also how i keep mealworms alive for as long as possible? I've been told i should put them in the fridge alive and that keeps them alive for a few weeks. However they go dormant in the fridge i am told so when i feed them the mantid they'd be skinny wouldn't they? Am i supposed to take one out a few hours before hand so it can wake up and eat something, what do they eat exactly?

[SiUK]

no need to feed it any suppliments but feeding the crickets on apple ect is gonna help the wellbeing of the crickets and in turn healthy food equals healthy predator.

[macro junkie]

only give them live food.

[shep1979]

he means supplements for the crix so it will be better for the mantid

[joeyboy]

ok so no need to buy calcium supplements or anything, what about keeping of mealworms so they live for the longest possible time but are also healthy. Also do stores inject drugs to stop them turning into beetles or will they do that? If they do turn into those black beetles can my mantid still eat them ok?

[Becky]

i personally only feed my mantids crix and flies...

[daz30347]

Hi, i feed all my live food with apple or Potato, mealworms, there hard to keep alive in the worm phase, mine usually go into a pupae after a week or so, so i'm not sure on that, but im pretty sure a mantis would be able to eat the beetles too mate,

John

[macro junkie]

i use cricket which are fed on weeterbix and apple

i also use flyes which live on honey

[joeyboy]

i've heard if you put mealworms in the fridge they stay in worm form for up 4 weeks because they go dormant. Apparently you just take one out of the fridge a few hours before your going to feed it to something, it will "wake up" and maybe you can feed it something, then feed it to the mantid.

Not sure if thats true.

[leadly]

crickets and locusts are your best bet mate!

A tip for feeding is half an hour before hand put your crickets or whatever into the fridge to slow them down, making it easier for you to catch with tweezers aswell as being easier for the mantid!

My old mantid Maximus wasn't a fan of the black bettles! he'd just pick them up and throw them around!!

hmmmm, may get a new one soon!!!