Feeding a Praying Mantis

One of the most fascinating and unusual pet is a praying mantis. There are about 2,000 varities of praying mantis (also called mantids). They have been pets in China for thousands of years. With proper care and a proper diet, a mantid can live up to 3 years. Mantids are carnivores and need to eat other insects to stay healthy. Please be sure that it is legal to own a praying mantis where you live.

Things You'll Need

  • Cricket food
  • Mealworms
  • Feeder crickets
  • Aquarium
  • Empty egg crate
  • Variety of other insects
  • Spray bottle filled with water
Show More

Instructions

  1. On

    • 1

      Set up a plastic or glass tank to house feeder insects, whether they are flies, moths or crickets. A small aquarium would do. Place empty egg crates inside as a home for the insects.

    • 2

      Buy cricket food at pet shops. It can be eaten by other insects, but it sold as "cricket food." This is called "loading the prey" by making the prey more nutritious. Otherwise, the praying mantis is just eating the insect equivilent of junk food.

    • 3

      Drop a cricket or other insect into the tank with the praying mantis at least twice a day. A praying mantis eats a lot in relation to its size.

    • 4

      Vary the diet by offering other types of insects that have eaten nutritious foods like mealworms, beetles, spiders, house flies, fruit flies and aphids. Use fruit instead of cricket food for feeding fruit flies.

    • 5

      Spray the inside walls of your mantid's enclosure for water needs. They will get most of their water from their food.