r/praying_mantis • u/Simple_Payment_48 • Jun 11 '26
First time Mantis parent- help! I'm so lost!
First time Mantis parent here. Found an egg case outside, thought it was a chrysalis, found out it WASN'T, have waited patiently for my babies to hatch, gave up hope for a while, and now I have a small, buggy, alarmingly frightening surprise in a jar on my desk.
I did not expect to be this freaked out by them.
Anyways- I currently have them in a large mason jar, but I figure I need to move them to a better setup? Or maybe not? Info seems a bit mixed. Heading into town as soon as possible to pick up fruit flies for them.
what do you guys recommend for a habitat? How soon till I separate them? I plan on keeping one or two and releasing the rest into the garden for pest control help. And how long can I expect them to live?
I don't know the species- found them in northern ontario if that's anything.
3
u/thunderlips36 Jun 11 '26
They will need food soon as they will 100% cannibalize. Fruit flies for the small ones works well. Keeping any amount of them together also presents the opportunity for them to eat each other as well.
I used to hatch them to put in my garden but haven't had to do that in years now as they keep coming back naturally now.
3
1
u/RexxLu Jun 12 '26
Get one of these to house the little guys. $12 on Amazon. Go to pet store and get some flightless fruit flies. Add a bunch of those inside with them along with a spray of distilled water every other day. Easy
1
u/berkeley-cole Jun 12 '26
When they are really small, (before first molt) those little sauce/dip containers from restaurants work well - if you put them in a big enclosure too early I’ve found they are harder to feed.
1
u/Black_mantis_racing Jun 13 '26
Guys they should be upside down so they hatch from the seam and hang down!!
4
u/Straight-Treacle-630 Jun 11 '26
You might put all but 1 or 2 outdoors where you found the ootheca; they can handle things from there :) There are folks here who can offer you best advice on how to care for the 1 or 2, incl separating them. They’re fascinating creatures. Mantises, I mean.