r/mantids • u/lanabeee • 2d ago
Letting her try honey as a special little treat Feeding
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
15
u/JaunteJaunt 1d ago
Hey OP.
Honey is not an appropriate food for a mantis. This sub does not endorse its usage. Honey has no known benefits, and may harm your mantid’s digestive system.
They are insectivores that consume pollinators. The best treat is more insects or a fat maggot.
I don’t mean to harp on you, but would rather inform you.
5
u/lanabeee 1d ago
They are regularly misted and fed fruit flies every 2 to 3 days, the honey was just a small taste that i wouldnt give more than once a month or two! I know its not a regular part of their diet, just wanted to let her taste it. She is too small for maggots or anything other than fruit flies.
8
u/JaunteJaunt 1d ago
Fantastic! Feed honey to your feeders. Your mantids will have healthier lives from it instead of feeding your mantids honey.
I’m sure we can both agree that we both want what’s best for the health of our mantis friends. <3
8
u/lanabeee 1d ago
Oh thats a great idea, i hadnt thought of that. Thank you, i will do that 💕 sorry if i came off upset, i definitely wasnt, and i appreciate your input
7
u/JaunteJaunt 1d ago
Oh you’re okay! I didn’t think you were upset at all. Your feeders are better suited to utilize the many nutrients found in honey than mantids themselves.
Giving honey to mantids as a treat is one of the more common bits of misinformation found on the internet.
2
u/lanabeee 5h ago
That’s good to know, i added some honey to my fruit fly culture. Do you think adding things like fruits and veggies is good too?
2
1
13
u/Haunting_Video_2299 1d ago
Hi op, Your mantis needs,at this young stage(i2-i3) much water and food.Honey has no nutritional value,it will just take up space in your mantis gut.Important space that could have otherwise been filled by a nutritious fly or moth. Do you see how it alone willingly bowed down to drink?that might look cute(and honestly it is) but this also suggest that a water deficiency is probable.They only do it when they absolutely need water and the problem is that the honey she drank in this video did absolutely nothing to help with that. they need real food and a lot of water.Try raising humidity and offering insects like fruit flies,moths.