# Orchid Mantis Care?



## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Anybody know of a good, but easy to understand care sheet on orchid mantids? Am so very interested in these!!


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## Mark75 (Jan 21, 2007)

Amalthea said:


> Anybody know of a good, but easy to understand care sheet on orchid mantids? Am so very interested in these!!


Good luck getting some Orchids, they are very hard to come by at the moment.


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I'm not looking to get any right now *wink* I'd like to stick to the easier mantids for a while.


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## Becky (Mar 26, 2007)

Orchids are normally about. Beautiful but VERY fragile! Keep warm and misted to keep humidity up. They're nice to look at just a shame they don't get very big.


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## mantidboywonder (Nov 15, 2006)

i agree males are tiny and orchids dead easy to get hold of if you know the right ppl and dead easy look after mist every few days i raised most of an ooth this way until i sold them on


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

What temp do you keep them at?


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## mantidboywonder (Nov 15, 2006)

just in a warm area of the house or on top on vivs never used heat mats with mantids and i used to keep alot of species here b4 i got into T's


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Well, I don't have any vivs (as of now... but want to get a western hognose eventually). Because they are so small, would you say a sweet jar is the best thing to keep them in? I keep the giants in the small exo terras, but I would imagine you'd lose an orchid mantid in one of those!


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## Mark75 (Jan 21, 2007)

My male moulted to adult last night (female is a week behind) and I keep them on top of my 3ft viv which has a reptile radiator attached to the inside top and this heats the orchids just fine.


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Thanx for the help, guys!  I had read that orchids were quite difficult to keep, but it doesn't sound it at all.


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## Mark75 (Jan 21, 2007)

Amalthea said:


> Thanx for the help, guys!  I had read that orchids were quite difficult to keep, but it doesn't sound it at all.


Not difficult but they do need a little bit of extra care for them to thrive.


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

my female is about to shed to adult and a good friend is about to send me adult male in week or 2..all is going to plan..
i house these and in same conditions as 9 different species..room 75f min for them to do good..u can get away with 70f but 75 there feeding good.mist once - twice a week..feed them on fruit flys,house flys..bluebottles..i know others feed them crickets..i think there are ok on them but i choose flying insects for the flowermantids like it would be in the wild.what a species!


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

*drools* Will keep my eyes open for an announcement of nymphs, MJ!!! *wink*


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

Amalthea said:


> *drools* Will keep my eyes open for an announcement of nymphs, MJ!!! *wink*


i know somone thats waiting for nympths to hatch..cheack your pm box.


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

mine died not long ago


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

SiUK said:


> mine died not long ago


thats cause u aint got the special touch..lol..im joking :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Thank ye kindly, MJ, for the tip!! *wink*


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## matt020593 (Oct 10, 2006)

I've wanted some of these for agesss!
Never saw any for sale on ebay or Mantisinc Insect Store - Live praying mantids, praying mantis, phasmids, beetles, live insects for sale and livefood for sale. All your exotic pet needs. though.
Gotta love them! They look so amazing.


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

i really really want one too! 

been looking for one for ages... have the viv ready and everything!  

Sami


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## Mark75 (Jan 21, 2007)

quixotic_axolotl said:


> i really really want one too!
> 
> been looking for one for ages... have the viv ready and everything!
> 
> Sami


Watch this space. I have 2 recently matured adults. : victory:


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## mantidboywonder (Nov 15, 2006)

you can pick nypmhs up for £3 no problem


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

oooooohhh! keep me posted  

have a couple of empty exo terras that need new occupants  

Sami


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

mantidboywonder said:


> you can pick nypmhs up for £3 no problem


OOOhhhh where from??? 

Sami


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## mantidboywonder (Nov 15, 2006)

go some bug shows i paid £3 off i think it was martin goss but plenty about


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## Becky (Mar 26, 2007)

quixotic_axolotl said:


> oooooohhh! keep me posted
> 
> have a couple of empty exo terras that need new occupants
> 
> Sami


Too big for mantids. They only need a jar!


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

mantidboywonder said:


> you can pick nypmhs up for £3 no problem


that may be true..but at present u cant get any.who wants to drive to bug shows looking for the nymphs./i want to buy them online..and at present no one has them.


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

mantidboywonder said:


> go some bug shows i paid £3 off i think it was martin goss but plenty about


martin hasnt got any..stop saying theres plenty about because there isnt!!!!.


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## Mark75 (Jan 21, 2007)

These really are difficult to get hold of at the moment. The only reason MJ has one is because I felt sorry that he lost a mantid that some online shop sent him.

I'm hoping there maybe a few at Yeovil. I'll race you all to snap them up.


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## Mark75 (Jan 21, 2007)

Becky said:


> Too big for mantids. They only need a jar!



Exo's are good for the larger species like H grandis and H mem. Most other species would dissappear.


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## Pimperella (Sep 26, 2006)

I'm seriously hankering for some of these. Hubby loves them. 

We were planning on having the frontroom as best, that was until i put the viv's in there lol So I have the whole room for me bar when i put the dining table in there lol Been cleaning all my small plastic tanks and sweetjars ready lol


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

my adult


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

it's really hard to judge the size of them from pictures! 

i have a 30x30x30 exo terra.. was going to use that.. but obviously no point!  

have a 30x30x45 that i was saving for an avic, but i'm still looking for one. 

i was thinking about going to yeovil for them.. but it seems a long way to go to save a couple of quid. 

Sami


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Am gonna ask my local shop for a sweetie jar. I'm got an African giant in the small exo terra viv, but these are only teeny...


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