Choosing a Container
Choose a container that is 3 times longer than the mantis and twice its width. This gives the praying mantis plenty of room to walk around and shed its coat. This is important, as the mantis can lose mobility in its limbs if it is unable to move around freely. Use a ruler to estimate the size of your praying mantis. For example, if your mantis is approximately 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) wide and 2 inches (5.1 cm) long, the container would need to be 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and 6 inches (15 cm) long. Purchase an insect terrarium from a pet shop or recycle a clean container from home. Plastic or wooden containers work best for this activity, as cardboard will warp and become soggy over time.
Attach a lid to the container to prevent the mantis from escaping. Praying mantises are good climbers and can easily climb up the items in their enclosures. Place a lid or a cover over your container to keep the mantis in the habitat. If your container doesn’t have a lid, place a piece of plywood over the container instead.
Provide ventilation holes to allow fresh air into the container. It is important to have more than 1 ventilation hole, as this allows the air to circulate inside the habitat and stops the container from going mouldy. If your container doesn’t have ventilation holes, use scissors or a drill to make 6 small holes in the enclosure. Make sure that the ventilation holes are smaller than the width of the praying mantis to avoid it escaping.
Adding Items to the Habitat
Cover the bottom of the container with damp coconut husk. Lightly mist the coconut husk with water until the top of the husk is covered with a thin layer of water. This will cause it to expand up to 5 times its regular size. Spread the expanded coconut husk over the bottom of the enclosure until the entire base is covered with approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) of substrate. Coconut husk is also called coir. The damp coconut husk will help to keep the enclosure humid. Purchase coconut husk from a pet shop.
Place clean sticks from your garden into the habitat. This gives something for the praying mantis to climb on in their enclosure. Rinse the sticks in water to clean off any dirt or poisonous spiders. If possible, choose a small branch with lots of arms, as this provides multiple sticks for the praying mantis to climb on. Use a pair of secateurs to trim the sticks down to the size of your container. The size of the dish doesn’t matter; however larger water containers are easier, as they don’t need to be refilled as often.
Add plastic decorations to the container if you want to add colour. Plastic flowers, trees, and grasses are great options. Make sure to leave plenty of room in the habitat for the praying mantis to move around. Purchase decorations from a pet shop or a dollar store. Plastic decorations work best, as paper or wooden decorations can warp over time. Avoid using any decorations that contain visible glue, as this can poison the praying mantis.
Don’t place any other insects in the habitat. Praying mantises like to eat live insects. This means that if you place other insects in their container, they will likely be eaten. If you want to keep other insects as pets, it is best to make them a separate habitat.
Adding Heat and Humidity to the Habitat
Mist the habitat with water once a day. Praying mantises like to live in warm and humid areas. Spray a light mist of water over the habitat to slightly increase the humidity level inside the enclosure. Adjust your spray bottle to the lightest setting in order to lightly mist the enclosure.
Place a water dish in the habitat. This simulates the pools of water that are often found in humid climates. Place the dish of water on top of the coconut husk inside the enclosure. This allows the praying mantis to drink when it is thirsty. A jar lid works well as a water dish.
Keep the enclosure at 22 °C (72 °F) with a heating pad. Place a heating pad under the habitat and set the temperature dial to 22 °C (72 °F). This helps to keep the enclosure nice and warm for the praying mantis. Purchase a heating pad from a pet shop or a vet.
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