Got my hands full!

[Brad Ramsey]

I just got a box yesterday with a couple more bug projects (nivea roaches, houseflies, more dubias etc...) Barely got these guys set-up and my Mantis ootheca hatches!
Tis the season!
incidentally the shipment came from Heika and is mostly some stuff we're experimenting with and sharing information.
The dubias, however, are maybe still available from her and they are healthy and shipped extremely well!

-Brad

 

[roo_71]

Brad ... you are a feeder junky.

-roo

 

[Brad Ramsey]

It's true.
Is there a re-hab center for this condition?
Or perhaps an intervention is in order.


-Brad

 

[CammieNLeno]

It sure is that time!!! Attached is what i woke up to in the morning as well! 1/3 of my pods, gotta get em all seperated before they start eating eachother

Im wondering.. are pinheads to large for them? In hawaii we dont have the option of ordering vials of fruit flies for them to feed on, so im not sure really what i can feed them for the first few weeks.

Welp, just gotta keep researching i guess! Thanks for sharing some pics Brad!

 

[rcagosto]

Jeez you going a bug maniacs lol. I would like to get to getting different feeders like maybe mantis and stuff, but I have no room for hundreds of them lol. I'm not ready for a whole bunch of bugs I can't feed fast enough lol. Oh man maybe I should just try and get more chams lol.

 

[ElderChameleons]

small food

get a butterfly net and catch small fly . let the bigger ones go (flys).you can also start normal house fruit fly . if there around . I would put them in Five gallon bucket . well fell it with fruit and sweet vegges . and let them go and catch them with butterfly net and flick them Intel there stunned and let them go with the babys. you could even get silk screen or small screen mesh to hold them in there . these last resort but works great for baby insectovore .good luck can't wait to get some mantis . jeremy Elder

 

[im faster]

well im waiting for my 4 to hatch...

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Cammie,
If you get true pinheads they'll be fine!
The mantids won't want to eat for 24 or so hours anyway, but like it
or not you will lose some to cannabalism.
It's okay...it's natural and one of the reasons there are so many.
Besides, who has 200 seperate little habitats and the time to feed them all!
I'm throwing my fruitfly cultures away, by the way, Pain in the @!#%*&#.

-Brad

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Im Faster,

You're hatching out 4 at the same time?!
WOW!
I can only handle one at a time....the rest of mine are in the fridge.
I am going to put one in the garden soon and see what I can raise
out there with Mother Nature's help.hopefully get some ootheca in the fall
this way. Going to encourage breeding with some inside as well.

-Brad

 

[Brad Ramsey]

F.Y.I.
Just checked e-bay and there are TONS of ootheca available right now!

-Brad

 

[rcagosto]

Oh man you guys are pretty cool. I wish I could use mantis as feeders but I don't think chameleon could handle 200 + mantids by itself lol , only if they sold like small amounts.

 

[Heika]

Oh man you guys are pretty cool. I wish I could use mantis as feeders but I don't think chameleon could handle 200 + mantids by itself lol , only if they sold like small amounts.

Sure a chameleon can handle that amount by itself. If you keep them in an enclosure of some sort and feed them, then you can feed them off like crickets to your chameleon. Some will die, some will be eaten.. but lots won't be.

 

[DragonDavy]

Isit ok to feed Asain or European Praying Mantis? I wanted to try these but wanted to make sure. What are good prices for the egg pod?

Thanks

 

[Jewel]

Brad you are like a little child who has just discovered bugs for the first time, you are totally obsessed lol. Pretty soon Kitty is going to be in the Guinness Book Of World Records for being the largest chameleon or you can send some extra my way, seriously I am so glad you are having success and a lot of fun with it.

 

[rcagosto]

Hmmm pretty interesting. How big do they get and can you feed them off while they are like about half and inch or so? How many are left over after an ootheca breaks open and they are all out? Thanks Heika and sorry for the questions. There was another thread on mantids and they said they can cause potential harm when grown to a chameleon due to there raptor claws. What are you guys views on this?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I have no intention of feeding fully grown mantids...they could pose a threat and besides if I get any that far I want to breed not feed .
I think anytime between hatching and maybe 2or 3 inches long would be the range for feeding.
I consider these an interesting treat/challenge for the cham. More a life enrichment food or activity than a staple feeder. Adding the occasional unusual menu choices can benefit healthwise as well.
The problem is you really don't end up with 200 mantids. Many of the nymphs die off or eat each other before you get them seperated, so at best you can grow a few potential breeders and have a handful to feed per ootheca.
At least this is what I am learning from serious mantid keepers on the Mantid forums (who, by the way, I don't tell of my plans to feed mine to my Chameleon)

-Brad

 

[rcagosto]

Thanks brad for answering my questions. But I got a couple more sorry. Could they be fed a staple until you run out of them, like everyday with a couple of crickets? Can you control there growth, example like with silk worms or horn worms you lower the temp to slow their growing down? Do they bite if I handle? What species of mantids are good for chams? Sorry for the question guys. That's funny brad, your in a forum that's for mantid hobby but your using them as a feeder lol. Lets hope they don't bump into chameleonforums lol. What's that forum site? Thanks.

 

[Gizmo]

When is it too late to put the ootheca in the fridge?
I have 10 -- but they've been in transit for almost two weeks due to address mix up. If yours are hatching these probably will soon as well...if I refrigerate them now will that just kill the occupants?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I don't think you can slow their growth. I do think you could feed a lot from a hatch.
A chameleon would come upon a situation like this in the field (a particular insect hatch or breeding frenzy) and probably hang out for a day or two or maybe a week and feed exclusively on this bounty.
Different seasons bring different surpluses and this can happen in the bug closet as well.
I think the most common to use for feeding would be the chinese mantis as they are inexpensive and readily available. Other species can get quite pricey.
When refrigerating ootheca be sure to contain in a secure deli cup or mason jar (just in case) and include a moist paper towel to keep the humidity up.
I don't think refrigerating will kill the nymphs. If you're worried about it just check on them often. I hatched mine at about 80 degrees.

-Brad

Mantid forums: http://www.mantidforum.com/forum/index.php

 

[rcagosto]

Thanks brad. So do they bite when handled?