So I was out bug-hunting today in my yard and I found a mantis ootheca, unsure if Chinese or European. The ootheca is 100% intact and has no holes or any other visible damage, but I found it in some brush just… on the ground. It has no obvious attachment points or even a stick intersecting it.
Anyway, I was wondering if it’s still viable, and if so, are there any special actions I would need to do to hatch it? I raise mantises every year as a little hobby, and it’d save me a lot of time if I could just hatch ‘em in a controlled setting.
First things first, you can try to check if there’s anything in the egg sac by putting a bright light behind it (just don’t keep it on for long periods if you’re using a hot light). As far as hatching them, if you’ve got somewhere outside with plants, you can attach the case with a small amount of sticky tack. I wouldn’t try to hatch them somewhere contained because mantis nymphs can be cannibalistic.
I’ve hatched oothecas, simply by storing them, but I transferred the hatchlings into a larger container soon after they emerged and/or released many of them if I didn’t have enough food for them all. You do need to check frequently (at least daily) to avoid too much cannibalism once they emerge.