Hey Petko, just a tip about the phalaenopsis orchids! The bark medium will break down eventually and need to be changed, especially in a humid environment. It should last for atleast a year or two but after that it might be easier to keep the orchids in pots hidden behind cork bark and use regular substrate. Love your content!! Thanks for making my Monday interesting every week!
I’ve used cork bark rounds as a “makeshift” plant pot before. if you don’t wanna use the ceramic pot. Works great and keeps everything safe from being dug up and such.
Pull all the Orchid roots above ground, (so sthey are sitting on top of the bark,) then put some moss over the roots, then spray the moss, that will give enough for the Orchids, if the roots don't get air flow, or get drenched, they'll die pretty fast.
Yeah, lot moth orchids don't need substrate. We use or orchid bark to anchor them in pots because that is what people are use to with normal plants, but really they just hang off the sides of trees with roots sticking out all over to gather mist in the wild.
@@darcieclements4880most orchids are like that, they’re epiphytic. (Only one i can think of that doesn’t is the Chinese ground orchid) Just means they attach to trees without being a parasite. Free real estate for the orchid.
So heartwarming watching you enjoy the small moments with your mantids that are so exciting and very few people get to see up close and personal. Thanks for sharing!
The orchid mantises are so pretty and adorable. Glad you gave them orchid enclosures the enclosures are lovely for them. What a great way to feed them for making videos. Love the macro videography and slow motion. Great video as usual. 💚👍🥰
I don't even have a hobby like this, but I stumbled randomly on one of your videos and now I can't stop watching everything on your channel. You do such a great job filming and taking care of your critters. I love these mantids so much!
I love watching them when they notice their food! It's so adorable! 😍 thank you for the updates on these beautiful creatures! I actually am planning on getting a couple myself soon hopefully!
I think that it will be quite difficult to keep Moth Orchids in that environment as has already been mentioned, the roots need air flow. Also try not to get the water dripping from the leaves down to the stem as this will cause rot. More orchids die from over watering than they do from dehydration. Also note, if they do survive, most of the time they will not have flowers. They are obviously sold like that as few people are going to buy them without?
Hey Petko! The orchids mantis are so beautiful! I kept one before and I used to give it a treat every once in a while. I'd put a drop of honey on a stick and put it up close to their mouth and they loved it! Would maybe be a neat lil video to do in the future with them if you chose to. Hope you & the girls have a great day! Take care! :)
Such an interesting video! National Geographic would hire you in a minute with your photographic talent! The drops of water on the orchard leaves made the film look like it was taken in the jungle! Great job thanks!
This is a life goal for me!!! I just got my second year mantises in - I'm keeping a variety to learn as much as possible, and have an ooth of the local variety to try and hatch, raise, and breed. Eventually I want orchids on orchids!!
I let a few oothecae hatch out for pest insect control in my gardens and they have reproduced for a few seasons now. They get pretty big and I like to hand feed grasshoppers. Super fun garden pets.
Epic video! The last jump was spectacular, so freaking cool in slo-mode! I love their new enclosures, they are beautiful 😍 The Orchid Mantis really are stunning little creatures 🥰
Hey Petko, it's actually not a cool enclosure it's a dumb one (three). I hope by some lucky coincidence you will read this post, even though it's doubtful. 1) First people should do at least 30 mins research before purchasing an animal, this will give them an overview how to keep a praying mantis. There are plenty of pages which shows a different setups also many videos on youtube - Why to reinvent the wheel with a life of animals at stake? Start with what works for other keepers and adjust/improve as you grow. 2) Mantises need a surface where they can hang upside-down in order to molt properly (SUPER IMPORTANT). That's why most of mantis boxes have net's on top, another alternative (or addition) could be using branches or cork bark glued to the top lid (don't use hot glue, it does not hold well to flat surfaces like a glass and can fall down and hurt your mantis). 3) Orchid mantises do not live on orchid plants and there is no reason to think that they do. They resemble a generic white flower and as far as I know there are no documented cases of them living specifically on orchids. The main issue is - very few branches to hand on, slippery leaves, where their claws can't hold well and they can fall during a molt which will be 100% fatal for them. 4) I would advise against touching them with your hands so much, you are putting your fat and bacteria on them. Mantises are unable to wash their backs and tails. Those animals should be kept in conditions as close to real ones as possible. 5) The plant's you've brought can potentially contain pesticides and insecticides. I hope you are using the ones from your garden (mantises will drink from flowers and wash their claws frequently, so they will definitely eat the remains of pesticides and insecticides if there are any) 6) Orchid mantises require higher temperature, humidity AND ventilation. Ideally 27-28C, with 75-80% humidity (especially females in order to be fertile when they molt into adult, later on that). If ventilation won't be sufficient they will likely get an infection. If humidity is not high enough, chances of molting issues increase. 7) Orchid mantises need to have a drink every day, maximum every other day - by spraying drops of water in front of them (some times on claws), or giving them a drop of water in any other way (from your fingernail, wooden stick). They are a HIGH maintenance animals as opposed to tarantulas, which seems to be improper for you, considering you have so many stuff to do and a baby (big congratz) 8) Your enclosure is horribly bad for many reasons: it has very few good areas where they can hang, it has no nets, it has glass. Glass or plastic is bad for mantises, because they cannot see it, which in many species often results with an animal constantly hitting a wall with the eyes and getting eye-rub, that can significantly affect vision (and cause infections). Walls should be covered with net's, pieces of cork bark (especially corners). 9) Your mantises are already big enough to get a proper food, with higher nutritional value (very small red runners, and soon green flies). 10) Glass not covered with a net, can result with mantises falling down not only from top but from walls as well. The older they get the often and more serious it will be. An old beautiful female can easily die in your enclosure by falling down from the glass, where she has nothing to hold upon with her claws. It's good to have a moss at the bottom for a soft landing. 11) Never try to remove pieces of what you think might be poop with your hands, females at this age do have a small dark area at the end of their "tail", but your one has it a bit bigger. Do not try to remove anything, they might bleed out because their blood does not clog well like yours, they can bleed for a long time and die (depending on an area). 12) By touching them and making them do stuff "faster on camera" you are putting an animal under a big stress that will shorten it's lifespan. It's confirmed they live much longer without this kind of interaction. If you need to hurry them up, blow gently a wind, they will start moving a bit faster. Do not stress them with extra touching. Consider if it's a good idea for you to breed them with that little knowledge and experience you have with mantises in general or this species in particular. Even if you somehow against the all odds (there are many specifics to breeding Orchid mantises, they are almost at the top of the difficulty list) will manage to breed them, how do you want to care for 30-50 animals, that require misting every other day and feeding with a tons of fruit flies? They cannot be kept communally, because they will very soon eat each other (hard stuff to watch). Those are hours and hours of work, creating cups for each one of them, sticking a net to it, decorations, VENTILATION (many many holes in every cup)... PS. I dislike what happened to spider babies in that big enclosure with a yellow heavy a webber - they had no chance to survive, waste of life. Please do your research, you are setting an example for many other people and you can affect how they will treat animals. Orchid mantises are a true rare, fragile beautify and should be treated as such. Animals & life first, hype & fun second. With best wishes and thanks for great videos that you do.
I have an orchid in my cresties tank. I'm by no means a plant expert, but it's doing well in soil and I water everything every other day and the orchid still puts out new leaves and roots. So if you ever have issues maybe try mixing in some soil just to help keep the roots a bit juicy haha. That's all the knowledge I can offer though xD
Omg I love the look of them so much!! I have horrible luck with real orchids, so I fear I wouldn't be suitable to keep the identical insect version alive
Regarding mesh, make sure NOT to use a metal mesh, mantids can have their leg or tarsi (the "leg" at the end of their front arm) and rip them off in worst case. Also, mantids love to hang from the highest possible place they can find, in a terrarium that is the lid. So having a mesh lid or glueing mesh to the top lid is a really good idea, it is also a nice space for them to molt from.
That camera bump/crash was sooooo uhh. Goosebumps :) Btw: Got Orchid week ago as well. Talked to breeder alot. Males have brown collar, more segments on abdomen 6+ and smaller leg "petals" . Females have green collar, like 5-6 segments and crown (hence name). Male/female mature differently on purpose to prevent mating of siblings :) Also I was told to take it easy on watering young ones (but those are huge enclosures).
Super awesome! That slow_mo is gonna become super important for filming these.. I hope you can get as much footage of them as possible, sadly with their short time span
Im getting my first Mantis soon. Orchid Mantis would be my dream but I'm too scared to mess it up since they are quite fragile. So I'm getting a more beginner friendly species : Creobroter spec. „Yunnan“😅 But I'm so exited about it and maybe with more experience I will get an Orchid Mantis in future as well 🥰
The orchid in the back plus the couple cork barks on the sides does not provide enough traveling spaces your mantis to molt. Lucky you if it's a male, they're way smaller than females and don't necessarily need more. If it's a female, it will eventually die from a bad molt (like head and raptorial legs on the soil while the rest is attached to a branch, the carapace hardens and the mantis is disabled for life, or dead). Put more light & solid twigs and make it balanced. Mantises spend time looking for the perfect place to get rid of their skins.
If there is a blockage it could be due to low humidity in that plastic tub. I am no expert, but I believe these mantids need a humid environment. The enclosures are beautiful and I hope you can get a breeding pair in the future!
Cool mantids. After a late-night encounter with a large household spider in the bathroom, I asked myself: what would Petko do? (WWPD) Have you ever been bitten? Have you ever killed a bathroom spider?
Misting the orchids once a week should be enough. :) Also, it's normal for their roots to dry out and 'die' every now and then, because they grow new ones. Beautiful enclosures, though
Hey Petko, just a tip about the phalaenopsis orchids! The bark medium will break down eventually and need to be changed, especially in a humid environment. It should last for atleast a year or two but after that it might be easier to keep the orchids in pots hidden behind cork bark and use regular substrate. Love your content!! Thanks for making my Monday interesting every week!
I think that shouldnt be a problem cause orchid mantis only live around 1-2 years anyways
I’ve used cork bark rounds as a “makeshift” plant pot before. if you don’t wanna use the ceramic pot. Works great and keeps everything safe from being dug up and such.
Moth orchids are airoids so they do fine just fine with minimal soil. You can let them just suspend themselves in a high humidity environment.
Pull all the Orchid roots above ground, (so sthey are sitting on top of the bark,) then put some moss over the roots, then spray the moss, that will give enough for the Orchids, if the roots don't get air flow, or get drenched, they'll die pretty fast.
Yeah, lot moth orchids don't need substrate. We use or orchid bark to anchor them in pots because that is what people are use to with normal plants, but really they just hang off the sides of trees with roots sticking out all over to gather mist in the wild.
@@darcieclements4880most orchids are like that, they’re epiphytic. (Only one i can think of that doesn’t is the Chinese ground orchid) Just means they attach to trees without being a parasite. Free real estate for the orchid.
I love your enthusiasm, you can see how much you enjoy and care for these animals. Always great entertainment watching your videos
The little Mantids are so cute, they really don't seem too phased by you at all, bold little critters
So heartwarming watching you enjoy the small moments with your mantids that are so exciting and very few people get to see up close and personal. Thanks for sharing!
The orchid mantises are so pretty and adorable. Glad you gave them orchid enclosures the enclosures are lovely for them. What a great way to feed them for making videos. Love the macro videography and slow motion. Great video as usual. 💚👍🥰
The passion you have for your pets is amazing, and makes for very pleasant content. I always get excited for an upload!
I don't even have a hobby like this, but I stumbled randomly on one of your videos and now I can't stop watching everything on your channel. You do such a great job filming and taking care of your critters. I love these mantids so much!
Wow they are so beautiful, i love how closely they resemble the orchid flower, such a beautiful creature
3:00 very nice
bonk
Have you got a vid today kat ? It's always awesome when you both drop one on the same day.
@@andrewrichards9513 current dealing with a laundry all over the living room situation lol sorry
@@tarantulakat lol totally understand, look forward to it when ever it drops 👌
I love watching them when they notice their food! It's so adorable! 😍 thank you for the updates on these beautiful creatures! I actually am planning on getting a couple myself soon hopefully!
Bravo Petko!!! Your little mantis are just awesome!! Those are sweet enclosures! They match your babies just perfect! Keep up the good wor!!!!
They are adorable, I can't get over hope tiny and Beautiful they are, she really like crawling on your hands, excellent slow mo shots ❤
these are my new favorite critters in the dark den. theyre so fascinating
Lovely little mantis...she/he will love their new homes. Thank you for sharing...
Me, an orchid connoisseur, wandering into this video knowing literally nothing about bugs: 👀😱🤨😲😍
I think that it will be quite difficult to keep Moth Orchids in that environment as has already been mentioned, the roots need air flow. Also try not to get the water dripping from the leaves down to the stem as this will cause rot. More orchids die from over watering than they do from dehydration. Also note, if they do survive, most of the time they will not have flowers. They are obviously sold like that as few people are going to buy them without?
Its so impressive that you can get those shots of them feeding. Something special for sure!
They are beautiful, they deserve a beautiful enclosure too 😍
Hey Petko! The orchids mantis are so beautiful! I kept one before and I used to give it a treat every once in a while. I'd put a drop of honey on a stick and put it up close to their mouth and they loved it! Would maybe be a neat lil video to do in the future with them if you chose to. Hope you & the girls have a great day! Take care! :)
Oh I hope he reads about the honey treat. I'd like to see that..
Such an interesting video! National Geographic would hire you in a minute with your photographic talent! The drops of water on the orchard leaves made the film look like it was taken in the jungle! Great job thanks!
ABSOLUTELY Love Orchid Mantises!!!! They are So Adorable!!!!! Great footage you got of the slow jumps....
The Male orchid mantis has a running
For Nemos jump!!!
Both very springy animals!!
Orchids are so beautiful plants, it is nice seeing the mantis enjoy their new home is amazing.
So glad to hear your new camera does slow motion. One of the features I have asked for was more slow motion feeding videos……can’t wait!
They are such beautiful creatures. Love Mantis.
This is a life goal for me!!! I just got my second year mantises in - I'm keeping a variety to learn as much as possible, and have an ooth of the local variety to try and hatch, raise, and breed. Eventually I want orchids on orchids!!
Loved this video. The Mantids are so beautiful and fascinating to watch. Hope they and the orchids do well.
That jumping clip was just perfect!
I let a few oothecae hatch out for pest insect control in my gardens and they have reproduced for a few seasons now. They get pretty big and I like to hand feed grasshoppers. Super fun garden pets.
Epic video! The last jump was spectacular, so freaking cool in slo-mode! I love their new enclosures, they are beautiful 😍 The Orchid Mantis really are stunning little creatures 🥰
Have a great week! Thanks for all the videos
Hey Petko, it's actually not a cool enclosure it's a dumb one (three). I hope by some lucky coincidence you will read this post, even though it's doubtful.
1) First people should do at least 30 mins research before purchasing an animal, this will give them an overview how to keep a praying mantis. There are plenty of pages which shows a different setups also many videos on youtube - Why to reinvent the wheel with a life of animals at stake? Start with what works for other keepers and adjust/improve as you grow.
2) Mantises need a surface where they can hang upside-down in order to molt properly (SUPER IMPORTANT). That's why most of mantis boxes have net's on top, another alternative (or addition) could be using branches or cork bark glued to the top lid (don't use hot glue, it does not hold well to flat surfaces like a glass and can fall down and hurt your mantis).
3) Orchid mantises do not live on orchid plants and there is no reason to think that they do. They resemble a generic white flower and as far as I know there are no documented cases of them living specifically on orchids. The main issue is - very few branches to hand on, slippery leaves, where their claws can't hold well and they can fall during a molt which will be 100% fatal for them.
4) I would advise against touching them with your hands so much, you are putting your fat and bacteria on them. Mantises are unable to wash their backs and tails. Those animals should be kept in conditions as close to real ones as possible.
5) The plant's you've brought can potentially contain pesticides and insecticides. I hope you are using the ones from your garden (mantises will drink from flowers and wash their claws frequently, so they will definitely eat the remains of pesticides and insecticides if there are any)
6) Orchid mantises require higher temperature, humidity AND ventilation. Ideally 27-28C, with 75-80% humidity (especially females in order to be fertile when they molt into adult, later on that). If ventilation won't be sufficient they will likely get an infection. If humidity is not high enough, chances of molting issues increase.
7) Orchid mantises need to have a drink every day, maximum every other day - by spraying drops of water in front of them (some times on claws), or giving them a drop of water in any other way (from your fingernail, wooden stick). They are a HIGH maintenance animals as opposed to tarantulas, which seems to be improper for you, considering you have so many stuff to do and a baby (big congratz)
8) Your enclosure is horribly bad for many reasons: it has very few good areas where they can hang, it has no nets, it has glass. Glass or plastic is bad for mantises, because they cannot see it, which in many species often results with an animal constantly hitting a wall with the eyes and getting eye-rub, that can significantly affect vision (and cause infections). Walls should be covered with net's, pieces of cork bark (especially corners).
9) Your mantises are already big enough to get a proper food, with higher nutritional value (very small red runners, and soon green flies).
10) Glass not covered with a net, can result with mantises falling down not only from top but from walls as well. The older they get the often and more serious it will be. An old beautiful female can easily die in your enclosure by falling down from the glass, where she has nothing to hold upon with her claws. It's good to have a moss at the bottom for a soft landing.
11) Never try to remove pieces of what you think might be poop with your hands, females at this age do have a small dark area at the end of their "tail", but your one has it a bit bigger. Do not try to remove anything, they might bleed out because their blood does not clog well like yours, they can bleed for a long time and die (depending on an area).
12) By touching them and making them do stuff "faster on camera" you are putting an animal under a big stress that will shorten it's lifespan. It's confirmed they live much longer without this kind of interaction. If you need to hurry them up, blow gently a wind, they will start moving a bit faster. Do not stress them with extra touching.
Consider if it's a good idea for you to breed them with that little knowledge and experience you have with mantises in general or this species in particular. Even if you somehow against the all odds (there are many specifics to breeding Orchid mantises, they are almost at the top of the difficulty list) will manage to breed them, how do you want to care for 30-50 animals, that require misting every other day and feeding with a tons of fruit flies? They cannot be kept communally, because they will very soon eat each other (hard stuff to watch). Those are hours and hours of work, creating cups for each one of them, sticking a net to it, decorations, VENTILATION (many many holes in every cup)... PS. I dislike what happened to spider babies in that big enclosure with a yellow heavy a webber - they had no chance to survive, waste of life.
Please do your research, you are setting an example for many other people and you can affect how they will treat animals. Orchid mantises are a true rare, fragile beautify and should be treated as such. Animals & life first, hype & fun second. With best wishes and thanks for great videos that you do.
They are absolutely beautiful animals. Nature is amazing
I have an orchid in my cresties tank. I'm by no means a plant expert, but it's doing well in soil and I water everything every other day and the orchid still puts out new leaves and roots. So if you ever have issues maybe try mixing in some soil just to help keep the roots a bit juicy haha. That's all the knowledge I can offer though xD
Loved the jumping clip at the end!
These are the MOST ADORABLE little creatures ever!! I'm in love 😍😍
The quality of your videos are incredible !!!! Good job
Those things are adorable like a jumping spider! Impossible to not love them!
Tell that to the fruitflies ._.
@@hanswurst4169 lol! That's fantastic... im guessing, they'd disagree!
If I hadn't just bought my first mantids a few days ago, this would make me think about buying mantids!
They are such dainty and pretty creatures :) 🤍💮
These make GORGEOUS enclosures!
They mimic the movement of leaves, branches etc. when blown that's why they move like that.
Omg I love the look of them so much!! I have horrible luck with real orchids, so I fear I wouldn't be suitable to keep the identical insect version alive
What beautiful bugs and plants! I used to keep orchids and want to again. Maybe I’ll have to get a mantis setup too
The orchid enclosures look great. Good job. ❤️
They look so cool on the orchids! Great video
I love this, he has a short life and you will rush the rehousing to give him a nice place to experience orchids. You have a great heart.
Regarding mesh, make sure NOT to use a metal mesh, mantids can have their leg or tarsi (the "leg" at the end of their front arm) and rip them off in worst case. Also, mantids love to hang from the highest possible place they can find, in a terrarium that is the lid. So having a mesh lid or glueing mesh to the top lid is a really good idea, it is also a nice space for them to molt from.
Great footage! These mantids are beautiful 😍
Again really nice Video! I'm so impressed by these animals and you handling them.
That camera bump/crash was sooooo uhh. Goosebumps :)
Btw: Got Orchid week ago as well. Talked to breeder alot. Males have brown collar, more segments on abdomen 6+ and smaller leg "petals" . Females have green collar, like 5-6 segments and crown (hence name). Male/female mature differently on purpose to prevent mating of siblings :) Also I was told to take it easy on watering young ones (but those are huge enclosures).
I would love to see an update on your scorpions.
Greetings to all.. Wicked awesome shots ya got..Loved it.
Hell yeah! Look at him jump! That ended up being such an awesome clip!!
Animal: is capable of jumping
Petko: SLOWMOTION!!!!
Slow mo mantis strikes n jumps ....... nuff said 👍👍👍😁 awesome really enjoyed it
Bonita update? I honestly adore your work with decorating enclosures! Have a great day!
This was an extremely awesome video dark den
Absolutely stunning species.
Super awesome! That slow_mo is gonna become super important for filming these.. I hope you can get as much footage of them as possible, sadly with their short time span
You are such an awesome dude Petko. Love your channel, running out of vids to binge 😅
It sure was fun watching the mantids jump in slow motion. Mantis Olympics!
Morning from Australia. Very happy to see another great video, I enjoy them so much. I will patiently wait for the next video.
Im getting my first Mantis soon. Orchid Mantis would be my dream but I'm too scared to mess it up since they are quite fragile. So I'm getting a more beginner friendly species :
Creobroter spec. „Yunnan“😅 But I'm so exited about it and maybe with more experience I will get an Orchid Mantis in future as well 🥰
How exciting! I hope it works out for you
Very cool Marko! I love mantids, especially the orchid mantis. Your enclosures are Impressive.
His name is petko
@@gabrieltriplett8981 that's his UA-cam name, his real name is Marko as he said in an old video🙄
@@Slavador2393 nope forever gonna be petko
@@gabrieltriplett8981 🤣🤪
I love that your kitty is in the intro!!! Love her!
That camera you got is incredible
That was bloody mantastic!
I love your channel! I started my YT channel not too long ago and you and a few other UA-camrs are a big inspiration!
The orchid in the back plus the couple cork barks on the sides does not provide enough traveling spaces your mantis to molt. Lucky you if it's a male, they're way smaller than females and don't necessarily need more. If it's a female, it will eventually die from a bad molt (like head and raptorial legs on the soil while the rest is attached to a branch, the carapace hardens and the mantis is disabled for life, or dead). Put more light & solid twigs and make it balanced. Mantises spend time looking for the perfect place to get rid of their skins.
I love techno at 15:35 I watch this guy from season 1. love it!🖤
If there is a blockage it could be due to low humidity in that plastic tub. I am no expert, but I believe these mantids need a humid environment. The enclosures are beautiful and I hope you can get a breeding pair in the future!
14:38, the praying mantises butt looks like a smiling pumpkin 🎃
In the shot of the mantid eating the fruit fly, looking down on it, the top of the booty looks like a pumpkin with a smiley face on it! @ 14:09
The reason they shake while walking around is to simulate a flower(orchid) in the wind.
Love the music in this one
Dude I could watch you talk about anything, you and kat are the best by far. Big respect from the UK 🇬🇧
what abt exotic lair
@@yung_beaner9138 not as good and his mate is quite annoying.
such cool looking inverts!
These are beautiful and amazing creatures .
Cool mantids. After a late-night encounter with a large household spider in the bathroom, I asked myself: what would Petko do? (WWPD) Have you ever been bitten? Have you ever killed a bathroom spider?
Bro I love your channel, mainly I love how you are in complete control of your own world 👍👍
Love your channel, you’ll go Dark Den 👍🤩
Please tell me someone else sees this at 14:03 the mantis has a smiley face on the tip of its abdomen
Awesome video!
Those are amazing little creatures!
17:27 takes down fly and makes poop at same time
Haha! That was a fun video! Such pretty mantises!
Aww they are so cuteeee
What awesome little creatures! Great video! 👏🏻👏🏻
So cool...love praying mantis!
SUPER cool video 👍nice job
awesome work
Love the super slomo action
Such a cool video Petko!!!
They are so small, gorgeous and intriguing, they look as though they are wearing a genie 🧞♀️ uniform ! 🧞♂️🧞♂️🧞♀️🧞♀️
I love how you want to give the male a good home to live the rest of his life.
Adorable little friends!
Misting the orchids once a week should be enough. :) Also, it's normal for their roots to dry out and 'die' every now and then, because they grow new ones. Beautiful enclosures, though
Awhhh!! BEAUTIFUL!! 🎀