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  • Praying mantis care/release question…

    Created by Charity Brown on June 15, 2017 at 6:21 am

    I’ve received my praying mantis egg cases. You recommend enclosing them in a container or hanging them from a branch while they prepare to hatch. What kind of container… please give me an example? I’m new at this. Thanks. Charity

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  • June 15, 2017 at 1:03 pm #241101

    Eric Vinje
    Keymaster

    Hi Charity –

    Praying Mantis egg cases can take 6-8 weeks of warm temperatures, 65-75 degrees daytime, no lower than 45 degrees at night, to hatch. If immediate release is inconvenient you can keep the egg case(s) in the refrigerator for up to one week, but they must be in a ventilated container. DO NOT FREEZE.

    To release, simply tie the praying mantis egg case(s) to twigs or branches about three feet above the ground. Birds and rodents will feed on them, so placing them in a container with holes large enough for the mantis to escape — 1/4 to 1/2 inch diameter — will provide protection. One case will yield approximately 50-200 nymphs.

    To speed up the hatch, we recommend placing egg cases — still in the bag — on top of a refrigerator, or some place that is consistently warm, but not hot. Do not place them on a windowsill as temperatures fluctuate too much.

    Escape proof, the Insect Lore Port A Bug is a lightweight and durable insect habitat that is the perfect habitat to observe your mantis hatchlings! Just make sure to release them soon after release as they are cannibalistic.

    Note: The newly hatched insects squeeze through the egg sac, leaving it intact and disperse quickly without leaving behind a clue that hatching has occurred. It takes as much as five months for mantises to reach full size.

    Good luck!

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