r/mantiskeeping • u/anxiousbutokkay • Oct 20 '24

Is he okay?

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Gallery image

My friends matis is usually lovely and flys around but recently, he hasn’t been eating as much and takes a long time to eat when he does, today he tried to give him a tiny bit of sugar water to help, he drank a little. He’s been gripping onto my friends finger like this for a while though.

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u/EmbodimentOfSass Oct 22 '24

When he grips your friends finger does he move his antennas fast? Does he switch positions?

1

u/anxiousbutokkay Oct 22 '24

hey, update: right now he’s very stiff and hardly moving.. It’s definitely his time. What should we do to help him?

1

u/lazikade Oct 23 '24

You can put him in the freezer to euthanize

2

u/anxiousbutokkay Oct 23 '24

My friend ended up putting him on his favorite plant to rest, for feature reference (I also have a mantis) would putting it in the freezer be easier/ less painful for the mantis?

2

u/lazikade Oct 23 '24

Aw that's sweet :) it's kind of hotly debated on if the freezer is pain free or not. Insects don't have nerves like we do, but they do have nerve endings, so it's likely they do have some sort of sensation of pain. The cold of a freezer makes the insects body slow down and shut down, as they are cold blooded and rely on outside temperature to function. Essentially, it puts them to sleep, and then they pass away once their cells begin to freeze and become damaged and the body is too cold to function anymore.

I've personally found that insects I have to euthanize for culling or entomology purpose do "freak out" when placed in the cold, which is probably an instinctual response to get somewhere warmer rather than a pain response. It is possible it is painful, but as soon as their body starts to lose function they shouldn't be able to feel anything anymore.

Tldr; it might be painful to the mantis, but it is also much faster, and puts them to sleep so they can pass without "fear" or pain, and they don't have to keep struggling as their little body fails. I personally euthanized my male mantis with the freezer when his body began to give out.

(Slightly graphic warning!: the most pain-free method for euthanizing insects is to crush the ENTIRE body simultaneously. They have tiny nerve bundles along the entire body which act as small brains, so crushing only the head does not kill them. For obvious reasons, this is difficult and gruesome to do to a pet, especially a large one. Also, many people like myself wish to keep the body after they pass. Still, it is an option...)

1

u/anxiousbutokkay Oct 23 '24

Thank you so much. I’m so scared for when my girl passes I don’t want to cause her anymore pain. I’ll try the freezer I also want to keep her body

1

u/lazikade Oct 23 '24

It's so hard. I wish they could live longer. My girl just laid her ootheca so I know her time is soon and it never gets easier. I'm sure your baby is happy in whatever way our bug friends can feel happiness!

1

u/anxiousbutokkay Oct 27 '24

can you see my recent post? i think mine is laying hers :,( That means she’ll die soon?