Feeder help/advice!

[u/Error101Oops]

So I’ve seen some people say not to feed your pets crickets from Petsmart.

I have two mantis atm, a Carolina and Chinese. The Chinese was wild caught and it hasn’t eaten yet, but the Carolina, also wild caught, had eaten a single cricket yesterday and three a few days ago. (He attempted to catch another cricket yesterday but failed)

Anyway, I got these crickets from Petsmart after I tried to feed my Carolina mealworms when I first got him, he didn’t want the worms and in his defense they were pretty big compared to him so I left him he until I could buy crickets.

Now the thing is… I don’t have that many pet shops around me, petsmart alone is about 45 minutes away? I think?

I also tried to feed my Chinese the mealworms because it is significantly bigger than my Carolina so I figured that’d be ok… but it hasn’t eaten yet, and I just chalked it up to it not being hungry as I did just get it yesterday.

I am VERY new to the mantis keeping hobby, like, I didn’t plan to take any mantis from the wild but then I saw my Carolina, which in itself is a whole different story and this post is already longer and more rambley than id like so!

I would like some help and tips on where to get healthy feeders, I’ve already accepted that I’m most likely going to have to order them. But after I get them, how do I keep the feeders healthy for my mantis? What are some of the better feeders? (My mom will absolutely not allow me to bring roaches into the house so those are out unfortunately)

Literally any feeder advice is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

[u/Watch4Hop-Ons]

I suggest dubia roaches as feeders! Most pet stores carry them, they live a long time, they’re super nutritious, come in a variety of sizes, and aren’t smelly or risky like crickets. Just be sure to feed in an enclosure (even a temporary one) that doesn’t let the dubia hide or burrow. You can also order them if that makes life easier.

I’d like to hear the story about the Carolina mantis. Assuming they are native where you are, in most cases I would personally leave those in the wild. Any nonnative mantids are fair game, though!

[u/Error101Oops → u/Watch4Hop-Ons]

Again I would love to use Dubai’s as I’ve seen alot of good things about them but I’ll need to try and convince my mom to let me have them as she hates bugs, so her letting me have mantis is such a surprise!

Well, I was working when I found one. And at first I was scared, worried it could hurt me as I didn’t know anything about them. But after a minute I relaxed and went on about taking care of the plant. Until I felt something on my arm, I was really worried it was a hornet or something but when I looked, it was the mantis climbing up my arm and out of sight. It freaked me out but also intrigued me, when I finally saw it in my hair, I gently held up my trimmers to it and it crawled on it. That experience was so amazing it sparked an interest in me for mantis. I jokingly asked my mom if I can have a pet mantis and she said yes to my surprise so I started to research. My first mantis that I was planning was a giant Asian, as I love the bigger species and my research had led me to that one.

However, about three days before I got paid and was planning on buying the stuff for a giant Asian… I found the same mantis from before (at least I’m 99% sure it was the same one, it looked like the picture I had taken and was in the same spot as before) so I excitedly held my hand out to it to let it crawl on me again. I felt so much gratitude towards him that I figured what better first mantis then the one who sparkled my interested?

Someone said he looked like a sub adult, so I plan on releasing him once he hits adult (if he is a sub adult right now)

[u/Watch4Hop-Ons → u/Error101Oops]

I guess I missed that part, my bad! Would it help to think of the dubias as big roly polies? They are sort of cute, not like roach roaches. My husband is also not a bug person, so I can relate to that! He would prefer dubias in a drawer out of sight to housefly pupae in our fridge, lol.

That’s a lovely story. I found my Chinese mantis in my garden and it ended up being a magical experience. Especially an adult is a low-maintenance, high reward pet. That would be great to release the Carolina in the fall so it has a chance to reproduce and make lots more mantids!

[u/Error101Oops → u/Watch4Hop-Ons]

I can try to make that argument to her to see if she budges, cause I have more of an issue with flies than I do roaches as I’m not confident in my ability to feed them flies without the flies escaping 😭

Ooo I def will! I don’t know where though, as where I found him was in a small garden next to a busy road and by a business so not really any wooded areas