Bedbugs

[mbbugs]

I became interested in getting a mantis when I saw that they have been used as a natural predator to get rid of bedbugs. Anybody know if this works?? What mantis would you recommend?? Do you anticipate any problems? Is there a particular size of mantis that would be most ideal in eating the eggs, nymphs and full-size adults -- about 1/4 inch in length.
Thanks for your input in advance. :eek:

[Insectchat]

Hello,
I am afraid mantids cannot really be used for getting rid of bed bugs, as they primarily feed on food items much larger. Can you be a little more specific by what you mean by "bed bug"?

[mbbugs]

Well, here's what I get from Wikipedia -- and I imagine my personal (very personal) bedbugs are the common ones -- I think they are very common -- in behavior:

"Bedbugs (or bed bugs) are small nocturnal insects of the family Cimicidae that live by hematophagy, feeding on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts."

Adults are 1/8 to 3/8 inch in length. Maybe a certain kind of mantid would welcome this size??? I had understood that Egyptian are small and easy for newbies to raise.

Here's the link for the rest of the article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedbug

And here's the site where I learned that mantids were being used to get rid of bedbugs. Look at the first response to this FAQ from "Edgie".

http://bedbugger.com/2007/03/19/faq-is-there-an-insect-that-will-eat-bed-bugs/

Hope these help
Butz