Praying Mantis Keeping 101 - A Beginners Guide 

One day I was outside on a walk, and heard a cicada in a tree buzzing repeatedly, I looked up and a praying mantis has captured the cicada and was slowly devouring it. Nature is cruel, yet beautiful.

I have them in my yard and living in the plants that I keep inside over the fall and winter months. I found a bunch of babies in the garden this year. I always move them to a safe place when I spot them.I just saw a big female sitting on my citrus tree that I keep in my basement.I started helping them a little and I find them all over the place now.

I just found a praying mantis outside recently and he looked kinda weak so i brought him inside and put him in an aquarium tank with some substrate and other accomodations. I named him Jimbo. He is regaining strength and doing really well. Haven't decided if I'll release him back out into the wild or not. He is very interesting and enjoys sitting on my hand or shoulder and enjoys being talked to. This video helped me understand better how to care for Jimbo.

As a child in Toronto we caught Mantis for pets, it was 1971. There was a round bug keeper with a slender neck that we could buy. Some lads had aquariums with screen on top. We would catch grasshoppers and crickets to feed them. My fondest memories.

This answered a lot of my questions. Now I finally made my decision to get a Ghost Mantis :) Thank you!

I found a one armed mantis I took her home and fed her water from my finger tip and let flies in and they went to the window screen i put the mantis on the screen and closed the window so she and the flies were trapped an watched as she caught the flies one handed , she lived until November after foaming up a pod. I buried her, and her kids were let loose in the spring. Her name was Joan

The only insect that doesn’t freak me out is the praying mantis, the most frightening of insects

Ive kept mantises for years, and this is the best tutorial ive ever seen

I've always wanted to keep an orchid mantis, but I told my husband that I want to start off with a more simpler and easy mantis, one more for beginners, before I work my way up to taking care of an orchid mantis. Mantis's are just so beautiful. I find so many outside and I always want to take them home, but I fear of taking them away from a habitat that they are already adapted to. Thank you for this video. I will be taking notes and no doubt be revisiting this video many times to make sure I am doing everything right.

I've been doing research after ordering a ghost mantis and this is the best video I've found yet, thanks a bunch

I am 11, and me and my siblings have been searching for days to try and find a Chinese mantis it’s so hard we still haven’t found any we have a tank set up and are prepared for the worst. This video was very helpful thank you and continue with the good work

I have my pet pray mantle and I named her woodalin because she looks like wood and this really helped me take care of her😊💜 Thank you💜😊

Absolutely brilliant, I’m raising my first mantis. I got three egg sacks they hatch. I let them go in the garden except for four and one made it I call him George yes after the Beatles he is beautiful. Thanks for all your information I subscribed

I really like this guide. I would add that if you can get them Chinese and Carolina mantis are also extremely hardy. I personally start handling my mantis a couple days after their second or third molts so that they become comfortable with me and I suggest doing the same. It makes handling them as they get older much easier. By adult hood my mantis see me walk into the room and open their enclosure and they come out to me of their own accord. Even the males will fly to me. When I hold them if they are "cleaning" my hand I put just a little water on my hand for them. I have had babies that just hatched and the next morning are suddenly dead. I also had an adult male once that was acting perfectly normal one day and the next morning he was dead. The video is correct, sometimes they just die. Though I would say avoiding feeding them crickets or wild insects are good precautions though in my experience not needed. My mantis gladly eat crickets, mealworms, and especially flies or wild caught moths. I only get crickets from a couple pet stores though because I know their crickets are kept clean and they get them from a reputable seller. If you choose to hand feed them I would not do it too often because I have had many mantis that will refuse to hunt if I fed them by hand too much. Also white paper towels are great substrate for baby mantis when you are feeding them fruit flies. Makes it much easier for the babies to find the flies. One last tip I can say is if you keep a mantis don't be surprised if they get very comfortable with you and not so much with other people. I have mantis that was walking from hand to hand on me and my mom put her hand next to mine and the mantis froze. She did not recognize the hand. They will recognize the people who take care of them. Just cause they are bugs doesn't mean they can recognize their owners. If you want them to be comfortable with someone else as well make sure you have that person interact with them at least a couple times a week.

O.M.G! Such delighted for YOUR knowledge!.. I'm intimidated to Try?

Thank you so much!

Not that you're wrong at all but the comedic timing of "they make great pets for children" as the close up on this tiny fuckin alien monster eating a fly's face whiles its alive couldn't have been better. Thank you for that.

Very interesting indeed. I've always been fascinated by this creature and this post was so informative.

I’m thinking about introducing a few in my yard to take care of a massive grasshopper plague I’m dealing with. They are so cool though, I might keep a few for myself 😂. Thank you for all of the useful information

This is still one of the best presentations on mantids, used it couple years back and have had a decent mantis community ever since, only this year going for another bought ootheca to boost population so it's nice for the refresher 👍

Just had a bunch of babies hatch on my porch this morning from 2 different sacs. It was so cool seeing all the babies. Kind of want to collect a few and breed them to release once they've gotten to mate 💜

Just caught one today, haven’t had one since I was a kid! Wicked cool insect 👍🏻

very helpful

Thank you for this great video! My daughter and I found a mantis and have been catching grasshoppers to give her. I will buy some fly larvae for her now.

Really cool video! I hope you gain more subscribers soon! Keep up the good work! 👏🏻

Very helpful! We had an unexpected hatch in the house and since it's too cold for them to survive outside we're scrambling to find food for the babies. Just ordered some flies and will stop giving our adults crickets. I never considered some of the issues we've seen may be from pet store crickets.

Thank you for the valuable info! My oothesa just hatched this morning. I thought I researched everything I needed to know, but you had some great tips (Exepically the crickets) . New fan

Brilliant video. I’m new to keeping Mantids and have found this very informative. I have a Male Ghost L4 and a female Asian L5 currently.

I find a mantis in my back yard all the time. A few days ago I captured one. It was one of the more unique ones I’ve seen here in Colorado. It’s brown with black spots and not very big maybe 3ish inches head to tail, not sure if it’s just young or a smaller species. This video was very helpful because I’ve been so entranced with it since I captured it. I was happy when you said flies are best because that what I fed it! I was think about a wasp but figured it was better to feed it something that can’t fight back.

Thanks for this I had a giant Asian mantis and I am planning getting another these tips were so helpful!

I’m thinking of getting some mantises. That was so thorough - but more important to me was that it was accessible, understandable. I feel i could DO what you’ve said because of your clear simple and comprehensive instructions. Thank yoi

This video helped me most in my research for caring for a Giant Asian! Thank you so much!

Super helpful , I think when I finally move into my condo I am getting a mantis !

Thanks for the info! I enjoyed watching these vids

Great video for beginners!

I was actually wondering if the bite would hurt at all . That’s cool that they don’t nip at you very much . I really want to get a ghost mantis and orchid mantis . They’re so beautiful

This was a fantastic video! Thank you so much, I’ve kept reptiles and amphibians for 10 years but only just started keeping inverts so this video was perfect :)

This is so appreciated and helpful. Thank you!

Thank you for your help

Great video.

700th Subscriber!

Awesome video!

I ordered my first ever mantis on Friday (a ghost mantis) can't wait to get it

I remember making the mistake of giving my mantis a cricket I found in the garden. Although it put up a great fight, the mantis basically ate Jiminy's head and used his face as a mask. I did notice the cricket bit the mantis a few times which was sad. Little drops of mantis blood were kinda leaking out from between its limbs. I felt bad overall.

Great video mate

Thank you!

🌹💙 New Subscriber here; this video was fascinating and informative. I’m a senior citizen in the USA (Mojave Desert) who is thinking to start this hobby. I’m very interested in the Orchid Mantis, but understand the importance of starting with a hardy breed. Thank you kindly for these videos. Bright Blessings! 🌞🙏

Great video!!!

thank you for this vid!!! very helpful caring for one our puppy found trying to get on our hummingbird feeder [again]. caught her in a jar as soon as i misted her she drank up the water, then i gave her some sticks to climb on and now shes hanging upside down on the holey lid. we're gonna release her at the park tomorrow♥

Very informative thank u

I just got my mantis, and before i got her i watched this video, it helped me SO much with what type i should buy, along with what i should get and how to care for my new ghost mantis! unfortunately, i couldnt get a humidity gauge since it pushed the price over my budget. This also helped me identify Thistle was a female! shes currently settled in and recently had a meal of a small cricket! (hopefully it doesnt hurt her, the cricket was small and farmed though)

Just found 4 bushes by my house full of Chinese mantids! Love my 2 little guys!

Somewhere I worked had that wallpaper in the early 70s, the pattern was called 'Barbarella'!

This was very informative. Thank you so much. I’ve got three babies of three different breeds

Thanks G

i thought you might like to know the following story involving crickets and a preying mantis. many years ago when i was still at school, our maths teacher use to bread mantises with her sister. long story short, she gave several out to raise to adult size with the aim of breeding them. Anyway, she provided us with crickets as food for our mantis. several months down the line, after feeding my mantis dozens of crickets, this one fatefull day ended with the cricket biting the head off my mantis and subsequently killing it. so , do indeed keep away from feeding crickets.

I found a baby mantis a long time ago, and kept it up for a while. But I made the terrible mistake of feeding it crickets when it got so big. Poor thing got sick within a few days and I haven't had the heart to care for one in a long time.

I've got these egg sacs everywhere here, inside my house, outside in the sheds and on objects. It's an old house I am renovating at the moment. I was just wondering what they were. Thanks.

Rip ranny ( our class pet ) 2023-2023 lived like 5 days 😢

i'm gonna learn today

Very good guide, I would love to have one but too worried I might hurt the little creature.

I’ve just ordered a giant Asian mantis and I can’t wait 🥰

i look up one praying mantis video and now I’m getting swarmed with mantis recommendations. Not complaining tho.

Great video! Can I ask you a question? Where did you get your water spray bottle from? I need one like that for substrate moisture.

I just got a praying mantis egg thanks for the video now I now much more about them thanks

crickets killed my last mantis :( glad to learn!

I have a Chinese mantis. He's super chill and easy to handle. Awesome pets 😎

It's amazing how an insect can be revered and mimicked .

Dude,sweet cages!

6:56 brotherman is literally scared shitless

I wish I could take care of a mantis, But I never seen a mantis. But one time in school there was a praying mantis but it was already killed when I came to school.

My mantis while molting fell on the bottom of her enclosure and still managed to molt succesfully

I HAVE LOVED THESE SINCE I WAS A KID, THEY'RE SUCH LITTLE SWEETIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trying my hand at this next year

I wish to know where I could find opposite ventilation containers for them, or if there's a manual for your own hand made containers cause they look so good.

Wooohooo I am the thousandth subscriber

I found a baby praying mantis on my couch today inside my house. 😱 Right now I went to my local Pet Smart and bought some forest flooring and some other stuff for humidity. Also some fruit flies. Right now she/he is in a plastic container bigger but not too big. I put a hole in the top with a tissue over it. I also have a paper towel in the bottom and some twigs for her to call on. She has not ate the fruit fly yet. What do I do…?? I don’t want her to die!!! 🥺

Cool video there, I have a question if you don't mind, I live in Scotland and it's not as warm over here so i was just wondering if i would need a heat mat for under my substrate ?.🙂👍👍

Badass background. Where did you get it from?

We had a patient in the Psych ward I was working in about ten years ago who caught a mantis and fed it liquid methadone. I wasn't surprised they ended up in Psych.

Hey I'm getting my first mantis tomorrow. I wanted to get some live plants any idea what ones would be safe? Thank you for the video!

Cool video. Just a silly sort of question, but how large do you think a mantis would need to grow before it might consider a human being as prey?

Hi mate very good and educational video. I have been doing a bit of research and I found that a praying mantis would survive in a greenhouse in the UK. Do you think this is a good idea or possible as my greenhouse is heated as we have so rare plants.

I love all my mantis :) I post my feedings almost everyday lol

I have a question. I have seen where there are, what looks like hundreds of newly hatched mantis. So my question is....would it be ok to turn them loose into the wild some time after they have hatched? Do keepers ever do that? Thank you....Great video ya have here too!

We caught a mantis in our yard and it loves grasshoppers and box elder bugs for smaller snacks.

I had pet scorpion which I was advised by pet store to feed crickets too. The scorpion died, something ate it from the inside - I suspect parasites from the crickets it was eating.

Any tips on collecting sticks for the enclosures safely?

This was very helpful but I do have 1 question, how would I prevent mold growing from all the misting in the enclosures?

very helpful! but a lot of google articles say they can eat crickets so im very confused

Since I live in america, and some mantises are banned, is the Carolinian mantis a good choice?

How do you source flies? I used to feed crickets from the pet store a couple years ago but flies do sound better now

How sensitive are they to loud sounds? I play bass and wanna know if I need to keep them in another room or something like that

Can you put your mantis in houseplants for pest control even if you have an enclosure for it? I want to get some mantids to control my spider mite problem.

I've always fed my mantis crickets, never had issues.

Hi there ! My son and I found a mantis on the porch. He was still out there the next morning and snow was due in the next couple days so we took her in. SHE LAID EGGS!!! Can I pull the sac off of the top of the terrarium or will I destroy it? Also, do I just toss it in the fridge until spring? Please help us. Thanks!

I found a female mantis in my apartment in Arizona. I put her in a paludarium I had vacant. When I came home from work the next day to prepare a proper home for her she had actually climbed up the glass. They’re a beautiful creature

thanks for that cuz the first thing i was gonna feed it was a cricket

Would I need a heat light for keeping them warm or don't they need light im really starting to fall in love with these I want to start a new hobbie an get one but I just need to know I used to keep reptiles stick insects but never mantis

I love this guide google kinda sucks ngl