# Mantis stuck in shed.



## Devi (Jan 9, 2011)

I've been away a week and my mantids have been with a non mantis type person. Alice my hieradula fell off during a shed and is stuck somehow. I can't tell what is stuck and every time I try to get her out she tries to attack me. 
Since my friend thought she was dead she's been there for 2 days. 
Do I have any chance of saving her? Because i'm really struggling to get near here without being got.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Pics would help, I don't quite understand what you mean... Is she on the floor looking normal, out of her old moult, or stuck to some part of her body? 

You might have to man up and get your hand in there, but first lets see what's happening.


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## stevemusson (Oct 16, 2010)

vivalabam said:


> Pics would help, I don't quite understand what you mean... Is she on the floor looking normal, out of her old moult, or stuck to some part of her body?
> 
> You might have to man up and get your hand in there, but first lets see what's happening.


i agree totally. mantis can't do any more than scratch you and you just have to take the hit. my flower mantis was attacking me at L3 and i found it ammusing. still do when it tries as an adult:lol2:


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## Devi (Jan 9, 2011)

Right, I have a picture, but it kinda sucks.










It seems movement is occuring, originally the molt was on top of her, she now appears to have pushed it downwards and away, i still can't work out whether or not it's attached to her, but i can now see that at least her middle pair of legs are free and at least one front leg. Should I keep trying to interfere? Leave her to it? Can mantis even shed on the floor? 
This is her adult shed so kinda the important one. I feel so bad for her right now.


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## clownbarb1 (Jul 11, 2010)

y giant asian did this he died 2 days later:gasp:


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

You could always give the enclosure a bit of a mist tonight, see what happens tomorrow. 

Personally I would get her out and try and gently help her with it, I'm not sure what others would do though... I've never heard a good story of a mantis slipping in a moult and surviving though unfortunately. Do you know how long she has been moulting? Like actually like this? If it is 2 days I would say interfere, she is obviously having issues. 

If you do decide to get her out be very very gentle and try not to harm her abdomen as this will be very soft. All of her will be soft so try and not grab her, more scoop her up with the substrate and everything. If you do this report back before you try and remove anything, maybe a better picture will help us give better advice.


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## tom and tina (Oct 28, 2009)

Hi we have only found one way hat seems to effective against bad moults and that is to VERY gentally attatch the legs to bluetac and then susspend from the top of the eclosureto allow it to moult properly.

Also keep the enclosure and the mantis nice and humid, the aim is to keep the exosceleton supple to allow the mantis to escape.

this will work but it has to be done in time or every thing hardens and the mantis will be at best dissabled and will need hand feeding.

we have only managed to keep mantids in this condition alive for about a week or so before they give up and die, they are supposed to be able to moult and recover in the following instar.

hope this helps,
Tom


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## tom and tina (Oct 28, 2009)

just to clarify she needs to be off te floor ASAP they find it next to impossible to moult grounded.

also attatch blue tac to her 'old' legs if yo know what i mean.
as they moult from the back of the thorax they are usually hooked on to a leaf or branch. so the bluetac is there to simulate that an allows gravity to help.


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## Devi (Jan 9, 2011)

I tried to get her out gently last night to no effect. I tried a bit harder today and lifted her right off the ground by her shed, but no movement.
What I've been told by the person who was here is 'it was warm and she died' and can't get more info than that, so could have been shedding for most of the week, I'm just not sure. 
Not sure what to do now.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

Devi said:


> I tried to get her out gently last night to no effect. I tried a bit harder today and lifted her right off the ground by her shed, but no movement.
> What I've been told by the person who was here is 'it was warm and she died' and can't get more info than that, so could have been shedding for most of the week, I'm just not sure.
> Not sure what to do now.


You need to either pick her up by the old skin, or scoop up a load of substrate with her and be prepared she may dig her hands into you. 

It wouldn't have been the heat, lack of humidity would have done it.


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## tom and tina (Oct 28, 2009)

tbh the best possible result now is a disabled adult female, 
even if you can remove her successfully from her final moult her exosceleton will have hardened in the decrepid position she was in,

unless she is still soft enough to slip out then use the bluetac.


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