Praying Mantis Kit Questions
If you have questions about your Praying Mantis Gift Set, please click here.
Praying mantis hatching tips and tricks
Your baby mantises will emerge from their ootheca within 12 weeks. Here's how to help ensure you have a successful egg case.
How do I mist my egg case?
Your egg case (or ootheca) needs humidity to thrive. You can provide humidity by misting the enclosure with water once a week. Make sure you do not mist the egg case directly, but spray the enclosure itself. Spraying the egg case directly can harm yo
Where can I find my praying mantis instructions?
Click HERE for your praying mantis instructions.
Are praying mantises available year round?
Praying mantis egg cases are available seasonally, typically from December to May, while supplies last. You can take a look at our praying mantis availability here.
How long will it take for my praying mantises to hatch?
Be patient and maintain the egg case at room temperature. Don’t forget to provide humidity by misting the enclosure (not the egg case directly!) very lightly with water once a week. Dehydration is one of the main reasons egg cases fail! Your young ma
Why should I release my young mantises soon after they hatch?
We recommend that you release your mantises shortly after hatching to live out the rest of their life cycle. Failing to do so causes undue stress as tiny mantids are fearful of each other, and the possibility that they themselves will become prey. Th
How many mantises are in the egg case?
About 75 to 200 tiny mantises will hatch from the egg case.
What should I do when the egg case hatches?
When the egg case hatches, take your praying mantis habitat outdoors and release the nymphs so they can continue their life cycle in nature.
How do I release my young mantises?
Take your praying mantis habitat outside and unzip the top of the habitat. Let your mantises leave slowly. Do not shake the habitat. Your mantises will be hungry, so try to release them near plants infested with aphids or other insects.
Can my mantises escape their mesh habitat?
When your young mantids hatch, you might worry that they can escape their mesh habitat through the tiny holes in the netting. Don't worry, the mantises' long legs prevent them from escaping the weave of the net.
What kind of praying mantis does Insect Lore provide?
Our egg cases are those of the Chinese Praying Mantis (Tenodera sinesis), which are native to China and other areas in Asia. The species was introduced to America in the late 1800s and has been naturalized here for over a century. The oothecae are wi
Can I raise butterflies and praying mantises in the same habitat?
You should not keep butterflies and praying mantises in the same habitat at the same time. Praying Mantises are predators, and their instincts would lead them to prey upon the butterflies if they were in the habitat simultaneously. These projects are
What temperatures are best for praying mantises?
We carry our Praying Mantis egg cases seasonally, from December until mid spring, while supplies last. Mantids do best in temperatures above 50 degrees, and the nymphs will emerge in the spring as temperatures increase. If your location experiences v