Insects - Accidental egg sack...

Your Reptile and Amphibian Resource and Information Site

Back to Insects Forum Forums Home Members Area

Insects Forum

Leira Asant0917 Leira Asant0917 Leira Joossa Leira John_jb Leira Happyturtleboy

Member

Message

#1155160

Leira
View Profile

Accidental egg sack...

Well, this summer I found a praying mantis, and I kept it untill It died some time in near the fall. She left me with an egg sack. Right now, it’s in my garage (somewhere...my parents are allways moving stuff around...) and I read online to expect it to hatch in the spring.
They are still in the cage were the mom laid them. The cage is made entirely out of mesh, and wood to keep it sturdy. Should I put the egg sack somewhere else? (Is the egg sack called an ’ootheca’ or something like that?)
Anyway, If it needs to go into a different enclousre to prepare for it to hatch, how should I move it? and If it ends up hatching, what do I feed the little ones?
Anyone who has any advice for me, it’s appreciated!

01/31/07 05:33pm

#1155423

Asant0917
View Profile

Message To: Leira In reference to Message Id: 1155160

Accidental egg sack...

hi there!! as long as the mesh isnt too big then it is fine. figure if a large adult female mosquito can fit through, then it is too big, and expect them to hatch around early spring. feed them aphids, small meal worms, maggots, fruit flies and small stuff like that. also it is just called an egg sack. an oothica is what roach eggs are called.

01/31/07 08:58pm

#1155491

Leira
View Profile

Message To: Asant0917 In reference to Message Id: 1155423

Accidental egg sack...

Oh, I could have sworn someone told me it was an ootheca. Anyway, thanks for the info.
I think the mesh is to big...so what should I put them in instead?

01/31/07 09:34pm

#1155938

Asant0917
View Profile

Message To: Leira In reference to Message Id: 1155491

Accidental egg sack...

hello again!! go to home depot or lowes. go back in the windows and doors section and ask for a role of fine mesh window screen. then make a frame for it. probably 3 ft. high 2 ft. long by 2 ft. wide. although, it is best to house them individually, you might want to make individual cages. to be honest, i saw a guy in columbus who had a rack with about 30 individual tubs where the tops were screen and it covered his whole wall.

02/01/07 09:36am

#1159149

Leira
View Profile

Message To: Asant0917 In reference to Message Id: 1155938

Accidental egg sack...

Okay, I think I’m going to have some trouble gettim my mom to go to a hardwear store, especialy if it has something to do with the ’scary’ bugs that are slowly maturing in an egg sack. But I think I might be able to get my dad to take me. Or mabey my brother if he gets his licence by springtime. I don’t think he will, though.
But yeah, I’ll try it.

02/03/07 03:17pm

#1168752

Joossa
View Profile

Message To: Leira In reference to Message Id: 1159149

Accidental egg sack...

Here are some points:
-Was the female an adult when you caught her? If so then she probably mated before you caught her, which means the ootheca is fertile. If she molted once or more times after you caught her and she did not mate with an adault male as an adult then the ootheca is infertile and will not hatch.

-Start misting the enclosure. If you have NOT misted the enclosure where the ootheca is being held, then it probably already dried out, killing all the eggs.

-If you want the ootheca to hatch sooner, keep it inside at room temperature.

-The egg sac IS called an ootheca. Roaches and mantids are very closely related and therefore their egg sacs are both called oothecas.

-Onced hatched, you should feed the nymphs fruit flies.

-Do more research!!! It is a big responsibility to keep nymphs, it is also very difficult! Read more about your specific species or possible species...

Good luck!

02/11/07 03:49am

#1169132

Leira
View Profile

Message To: Joossa In reference to Message Id: 1168752

Accidental egg sack...

Oh no! I wish I had known more, I have not been misting the ootheca!
She was an adult when I found her, and she had not molted. But It has been so dry these past few...for a long time...so I think the eggs have dried out.
IF I keep another mantis next year, I’ll be much more wary. Thank you all, though.

02/11/07 01:46pm