How?

[Sarah3749]

Just wondering how exactly you guys get the tiny flys or dangerous bees into the container with the mantis? :confused: Do you pop the food in the freezer a minute or so to "knock them out" and then put them in the mantis' container before they wake up? It's the only way I can think of doing it...?

[hibiscusmile]

Yea you can do that, I personally remove the stinger first then give it to them. It is not an easy job.

[Insectchat]

I just leave them. I have never had a problem with the stinger before, I have watched some of my mantids eating wasps...and the stinger never seems to actually piece their raptorial forearms.
In their natural habitat, they would eat them with the sting, so I don't think it's a problem ;)

[Sarah3749]

Hmm... should bees and wasps only be given to adults, or can nymphs of some species handle them?

[Insectchat]

I would probably say any size that would be able the handle the flying insect.
I don't think being adult would make much of a difference.

[Sarah3749]

Ok, thanks to both of you!

[Arachnomaniak]

So far I've just been giving mine crickets and fruit flies. Fortunately for the mantids, our area seems to be plagued by wasps etc during the summers so I should have no shortage of those! I would think that the mantid nymphs should be able to take out flying insects etc just as long as they are the appropriate size for the nymph.
To be honest, I'm more worried about me having problems catching the flying stinging insects than the mantids catching them :P