Q&A for How to Make a Praying Mantis Habitat

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  • Question
    How do I acclimate the praying mantis to the terrarium?
    Brandon Runyon
    Entomologist
    Brandon Runyon is a board-certified Entomologist based in Evansville, Indiana. He has over 18 years of experience as a Pest Control professional, and is the Technical Director of Swat Pest Management. Swat Pest Management serves areas throughout Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, where they provide safe, cost-effective solutions for client’s pest control needs. He authored Bugged by Bugs: A Comprehensive Guide to Pest Control, a user-friendly guide to commercial pest control practices in hotels, restaurants, apartments, and offices. He graduated from Purdue University with a BS in Entomology, and received a MS in Entomology from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He also received an MBA from Western Governors University.
    Entomologist
    Expert Answer
    To acclimate a praying mantis to a terrarium, start by adjusting the temperature to match its natural habitat, facilitating its development. Feed the young mantis fruit flies, as they are easy to rear and suitable for their size. Create microhabitats within the terrarium to mimic their natural environment, especially when they are small and vulnerable. Maintain adequate humidity levels and provide access to water to ensure a comfortable and conducive environment for their growth and well-being, tailoring it to the specific needs of the species you are caring for.
  • Question
    How do I know how old my mantis is?
    FalinPerth
    Community Answer
    Mantises are born in spring, and most die in winter. Assuming you caught your mantis in the wild, count back to the first warm days in your location.
  • Question
    How do I know if my mantis is a girl or a boy?
    Community Answer
    Adult females are larger and stockier than males; the females generally don't fly, while the males can.
  • Question
    What do praying mantis' eat?
    Community Answer
    Most mantises eat meal worms, cockroaches, fruitflies and other bugs that you can buy online or in stores.
  • Question
    What temperature should the cage be?
    Community Answer
    Most mantids require temperatures between 20-30 degrees C or 68-86 degrees F. They should be no less than 18 degrees C, or 64 degrees F depending on the species.
  • Question
    Is a cereal container appropriate?
    Community Answer
    Probably not, as most mantids require high humidity and a cage 3x the size mantis's length.
  • Question
    How can I tell if the praying mantis is an adult?
    Community Answer
    You can tell by the wings. If the wings are longer than the body, then it's most likely an adult.
  • Question
    Is it okay to keep a mantis in a habitat that is not wide, but is very tall?
    Kalub Tyler
    Community Answer
    No, if it goes and attacks the prey it won't have room to attack and the habitat needs plants so it can blend in.
  • Question
    My praying mantis is brown. Can it change colors? What kind of mantis is it?
    Community Answer
    No. It cannot change colors. There are a lot of brown mantises,so we would need more information to identify it.
  • Question
    What should I put in the cage for my praying mantis to molt?
    Community Answer
    Sticks are good places to let your mantis molt. Mesh cage tops are just as good. Just make sure that the molting place you offer is high enough that your mantis will not touch ground.
  • Question
    What heat level does my praying mantis habitat need?
    Community Answer
    The best temperature for most mantises is 80 Fahrenheit, but it depends on the breed.
  • Question
    What are praying mantises' favorite food?
    Axel Calderón
    Community Answer
    Insects, such as crickets and grasshoppers. Mantises also eat spiders, frogs, lizards, and even small birds.
  • Question
    How long do praying mantises live?
    Clara Clugston
    Community Answer
    The lifespan of a praying mantis is up to two years while in captivity. In the wild, smaller species may live only a month, while larger species live about six months.
  • Question
    Can I keep a mantis in a cage without soil?
    Clara Clugston
    Community Answer
    You can keep praying mantises perfectly without a substrate, but using a substrate has its benefits. A substrate will isolate and reduce temperature loss, retain moisture in the enclosure for proper humidity and create a soft landing if they fall. A substrate also makes the enclosure more appealing.
  • Question
    What do I do if my mantis lost a limb?
    Community Answer
    It is possible for a young mantis to regrow a lost limb when they moult. (Adults can't do that.)
  • Question
    Can I use a 10 gallon aquarium as a mantis habitat? Also, Can you have more than one mantis in it?
    Sosig
    Top Answerer
    You could definitely use a 10 gallon tank (though it is indeed unnecessary but hey, at least your mantis has more free space to move around!). As for housing more than one mantis in it, it is not a smart idea at all to house multiple mantises together no matter how big the tank, as eventually they will find, hunt, kill and eat each other.
  • Question
    Can a praying mantis bite ?
    Sosig
    Top Answerer
    Yes, they can if you spook them badly or provoke them. It feels like an ant bite but 3 times the pain. Of course, everyone feels pain differently, so it may be more painful or less painful for you.
  • Question
    Instructions say plastic decor/plants, any recommendations or comments on using real plants?
    Sosig
    Top Answerer
    You could use real plants, but they would most probably rot. If you are willing to swap out the plants every time they rot, then it is okay to use real plants. You could also use the outer bark of a tree, as this might rot a bit more slowly.
  • Question
    Can a praying mantis be housed with carnivourous plants?
    Sosig
    Top Answerer
    No, they cannot. Sooner or later, your mantis would take one wrong step and kick the bucket. It is not wise to house any insects with carnivorous plants.
  • Question
    Is there anything I can use to heat my habitat besides heating pads and heat lamps? I don't have either of those.
    Sosig
    Top Answerer
    Yes, there is! The answer is natural heat. Keep your mantis's vivarium in an area of your house which is close enough to the required temperature for a mantis.
  • Question
    How many times a day and how many days should I feed a praying mantis?
    Sosig
    Top Answerer
    You could feed your praying mantis daily. If it starts to look a bit thin or starts to become less and less active, feed it more. Be sure to give it water too.
  • Question
    How long does a praying mantis live?
    Community Answer
    Depending on the breed and gender, they live for 6 months to 1 year. Check the individual times for your breed online.
  • Question
    I don't own a heating mat, is that bad?
    Community Answer
    If you caught your mantis, then you will not need a heating mat. If you have a species not native to your area, then you might want to research where they come from to know what humidity and temperature is in their natural area.
  • Question
    Why isn't my praying mantis active? How can I tell if it's dying?
    Community Answer
    Your mantis is most likely molting. Keep taking care of it and monitor it. If you see it in the corner of the tank it is most likely molting so just leave it alone 24 hours after it molts. If it is around a year old, it may be dying, but it depends on the species.
  • Question
    Can I feed dead bugs to a praying mantis?
    Community Answer
    No; praying mantises eat their prey live.
  • Question
    Can I put vermiculite in my mantis' cage?
    Community Answer
    Use a substrate of an inch or two of soil, peat, peat or soil mixed with sand, or vermiculite in the bottom of the tank for a pet praying mantis. This will help retain moisture. For species care sheets, a helpful reference is DeShawn's Mantid Kingdom. The required humidity also varies by praying mantis species.
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