So it is Autumn and in my yard, I found an Ootheka- a mantis egg case, still all zipped up. One of the two invasive Mantis species here, which means wildcaught is how you get and keep these. Mantises end up in my yard because I use minimal lawn care and no real amounts of pesticides, and a lot of critters live here.
So now what? I have a little bitty enclosure to put the ootheka in but hatching could be any day now or take until MAY 2024. The trick will be to keep any humidity in there, but I am not too concerned. It’s more humid in my house (35-40) than it is outside where they live, (5-20%) Yes it is THAT DRY HERE.
(no more tropical critters for me, we’re looking at desert species only from now on. 40%ers or below. Keeping two west african snakes comfy takes work.)
Woo hoo @athleticshoelace! This is very exciting even though you have some reservations on keeping this little gem. I’m not sure if you are asking for advice and or reassurance? I would think you should have the humidity covered and I really don’t think you need a very large enclosure for this little mantis pod. Maybe @jawramik has some suggestions/input?
Aw thanks. I’ve never done this before but I know it’s legal here, so hey… Surprise Mantises!
I have them set up in a little invert box from Zilla, designed to hold tiny bugs with vertical climb space and twigs, so now… well now we wait. And wait. And wait.
I’m currently considering getting a Grammostola rosea (Chilean Rose Tarantula) and a Tliltocatl vagans (Mexican Redrump Tarantula). Don’t have any tarantulas yet but it’s only a matter of time . Very pretty tarantula!
Highly recommended both of those. For your first, I would not get a sling, unless you just want the challenge. I’d go with something like a 1.5" or so. Little more expensive but a little easier.
What makes slings more challenging? I was already planning on getting a bigger one when i do get one, just curious. Not entirely sure how soon i will be getting any tarantulas though because i have tons of baby jumping spiders to care for right now lol.
Mainly getting them to eat. They takensome prett small prey. I have used cricket legs and small mealworms with the heads cut off. They are pretty moisture dependent as well. And they are just hard to see sometimes. Some species take FOREVER to grow, too. If you have jumping spiders and their babies, tarantula slings will be a breeze, I’m guessing.
just a little peek at the Mantis Box where the ootheca will await spring.
THe terracotta disc is in case I need to add a slow humidity to the space but for now it’s fine. That thing is a sugar saver, and I use them sometimes because if you soak them, then put them into an enclosure, they dry very very very slowly and help humidify a small space.
@athleticshoelace I honestly don’t know that much about mantises or keeping them. I’ve done a little research on their general care, but I don’t know much about hatching oothecas. The only inverts I’ve hatched out are the wolf spider slings I’ve been posting about, and the mamma spider did all the heavy lifting with that. But since this is a species of mantis that thrives where you live, it seems to me like you’re doing the right thing by setting it up in a secure enclosure and just waiting.
Mantises are super cool, and that would be amazing if it hatched. I hope you’ll keep us posted!
@spottedbull is correct that slings can just be harder to feed due to their small size, and they tend to dehydrate more easily, so even arid species will be somewhat moisture-dependent as slings. But I think if you can handle baby jumpers, T slings should be easy by comparison.
Do keep in mind that the Grammostola genus is quite slow-growing. However, the Tliltocatl genus tends to grow a good deal faster. I ended up getting a small juvenile Grammostola pulchripes as well as a tiny Tliltocatl albopilosus sling, which I think was the right call for me. The albo sling grew out of its more delicate sling stage pretty quickly, and with the G. pulchripes, it was nice to have a somewhat larger, older, and more robust juvenile, given their glacial growth rate. Honestly, it’s up to you what you prefer, I think you’re totally capable of raising up a tiny sling, but many people (myself included) prefer to not have to spend years just getting a Grammostola species to where it starts to resemble an actual tarantula.
Do you want some brown widows and false widows?? I CAN GIVE YOU SOME
Day 5 of the spider smashing endevour, and we have managed to go a full 24 hours without any new webs popping up, so I am hopeful we got them all. Running total is 2 big mamas with 5 fertile egg sacs, and 23 tiny spiders (likely a result of an egg sac that popped before we discovered them).
Lol! Well I appreciate the offer! I feel badly that you are going through this situation though and if you want to send me 1 lol, I will pm you with my address……
@caron, widows tend to favour areas that are sheltered and relatively undisturbed. So knooks and cranies in garages or sheds that you haven’t messed with in a while, wood piles, underneath outdoor furniture that hasn’t been used for a while, or indoors, under sinks, behind toilets (especially if you have a spare room or bathroom you don’t often use), in the back of that closet or cupboard you’ve been avoiding organising all year, etc. If you don’t get many spiders (of any species) in your home, that likely means you also don’t get many bugs inside, so spiders are less likely to set up shop inside, as there’s no food source for them. If that’s the case, you’re better off looking in outdoor areas. (I got all sorts of indoor spiders when we had an infestation of carpet beetles, but since we got rid of those, I’ve noticed I rarely see any spiders inside.)
Of course, I never find them when I’m actually looking for them. They seem to just pop up randomly when I’m not looking for them. Also, I found Delilah out in the open in a high-traffic bathroom, so they don’t always follow the above-mentioned rules.
Yeah @jawramik What you say makes sense. I really should go to the park here in town and look around the shelter houses there. We don’t have many bugs in the house but I am sure there are probably plenty in the garage so we probably have widows there too but I don’t think I would be able to even get to the knocks and crannies! Lol!
But I am keeping my eyes peeled just in case! If and when I find one you will be the first to know!
Unfortunately I did offer in jest, as I have obliterated all the found spiders to ensure the safetly of my collection. But apparently just start a bioactive with 40+ isopods in a sunny corner and wait, you’ll get some!
And yes, as mentioned above, the only other times I’ve found widows was in wood piles or old attic corners
Well I am definitely not a fan of bioactive anything because I don’t want bugs crawling over my snakes lol so I don’t think I will get widows! Lol! However bioactives work well for others if the widows can be controlled.
I’m glad though that none of your other collection was affected! . That would have been devastating!
. Very pretty tarantula!
lol!