Chinese mantid Ooths

coldbloodedAL

coldbloodedAL

Avid Member
I purchased two chinese mantid ooths earlier this week, and just received them. How long can these be refrigerated? I am hoping to hatch one out asap, and wait til the first batch is gone before hatching the second one. I have everything to make ff cups( minus the flies) for them to eat, and multiple 10gal aquariums to house them if i need to. Anything im missing?
 
You might want a bigger aquarium than a 10 gallon for a full Ooth. There's gonna be 300 nymphs in there, and they have a tendency to eat eachother if not fed correctly or house improperly. I'm going to compose a care sheet and post it on SmallPetFeeders.com, I'll put up a link when I'm done :)

-Dave
SPF
 
It depends on the size of the ooth. Some will hatch out 100, some will hatch out 400. A 10 gallon will keep them just fine for a while if there is enough climbing space. They will cannibalize if they are over crowded or not fed enough. When I'm using them for food I just keep them in a 32 oz container and let them cannibalize until I have fed them all out.

The eggs will keep for up to 8 or so months in the fridge.
 
Okay thanks. Theyre only going to be used for feeders. I read on an old thread that Ghost mantids are a good one to keep for breeding purposes( of mantids) because they are communal? anyone had experience with these?
 
Well, that's if you want to go through the hassle of raising them and then breeding them. If these are just feeders, it is an incredibly counter-productive project. Since they eat other bugs anyways. If you want them as pets mostly and will just feed off extras, you may decide that it is worth your time and effort.
 
pssh said:
Well, that's if you want to go through the hassle of raising them and then breeding them. If these are just feeders, it is an incredibly counter-productive project. Since they eat other bugs anyways. If you want them as pets mostly and will just feed off extras, you may decide that it is worth your time and effort.
Click to expand...

I was thinking for feeding purposes, so i dont think i will go through with that.
 
2-8 is a good guess. If they dont hatch after that, they are probably not going to.
 
Yes, very much so. They can dry out an desiccate. It is important to mist them at least once every 2-3 days and allow them to dry them out before the next misting. The temperature can affect the time it takes for them to hatch. Warmer is better. The mid 80s is great.
 
pssh said:
Yes, very much so. They can dry out an desiccate. It is important to mist them at least once every 2-3 days and allow them to dry them out before the next misting. The temperature can affect the time it takes for them to hatch. Warmer is better. The mid 80s is great.
Click to expand...

I havnt misted it directly, i have 3 small plants in the tank that i water every other day, tank has acrylic top to hold humidity.
 
That should be fine, as long at it's not bone dry. Allow airflow to prevent mold though. If you mist it directly, it might actually trigger it to hatch. I've had that happen with 10+ ooths that were not contained. BAD IDEA at the time. Had a thousand mantises running around on my desk.
 
pssh said:
That should be fine, as long at it's not bone dry. Allow airflow to prevent mold though. If you mist it directly, it might actually trigger it to hatch. I've had that happen with 10+ ooths that were not contained. BAD IDEA at the time. Had a thousand mantises running around on my desk.
Click to expand...

Lol that would be HECTIC! But the top has some vent holes on it so i think im good there. Ill up the temps when i get home from work, and give it a light mist as well. Thank you for the help!:)
 
My first three ooths never hatched is there a way to kill them so they don't hatch? My only thought is that I put a small dab of hot glue on a stick and then stuck the ooth to the stick will this kill it? Otherwise maybe it just needs hotter conditions I have just had it in my cham room in a container 50% humidity and 68-75 deg temps.
 
clarkrw3 said:
My first three ooths never hatched is there a way to kill them so they don't hatch? My only thought is that I put a small dab of hot glue on a stick and then stuck the ooth to the stick will this kill it? Otherwise maybe it just needs hotter conditions I have just had it in my cham room in a container 50% humidity and 68-75 deg temps.
Click to expand...

How long have you had them? The hot glue may have killed some, but i dont think it would kill them all...
 
Hmm.... seems like a long time, but they can keep up to 8 months in a fridge so i guess its still possible they hatch. Im new to this so i cannot give you a forsure answer, Psshh seems very knowledgable about this. Maybe shoot her a pm.
 
Up the temps and see what happens. The temperatures might have just been too low to break the diapause on the eggs. Make sure to mist it too. You want to simulate spring time.

If you happen to have gotten those from me, I guarantee that the ones I sell hatch, so PM/email me if that's the case.
 
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