My Garden

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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:40 am

I know what you’re thinking…not another my garden thread. This one is different, I promise. For years I have been trying to hatch praying mantids for my yard. Every year I buy some egg sacks but I don’t think they ever hatched. The instructions say it needs to be 75 degrees or greater for up to 4 weeks. Even though I live in Southern California that is a tall order because there are days when there is overcast so I assumed that was the problem.

This year however, I came up with the genius idea to hatch them inside the house. No, this thread isn’t going where it sounds. I may be dumb but I am only as dumb as my wife allows me to be Smile

I placed the eggs inside a paper bag and put it in the kitchen window seal. Ha, three days later…I have babies. Take a look. Aren't they cute? Look at their little faces.

These are the babies about three weeks later Smile

Most are turning a very pretty shade of green.

So far I have hatched six egg casings so they are in both my front and backyard. My 7 year old calls them “pray mites” Laughing

They are very friendly and don’t seem bothered at all by people being around. Some are more then happy to jump on your hand and just stare at you. If you spray a mist of water they will drink right off your hand.

Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:07 am

Love the pics Ghost, you'll be aphid and insect free if they all survive there.

Well done on getting them to hatch!

Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:04 am

I hope they will be okay. It has been super hot lately. Usually in the 90's. Even now it's 3 AM and it's in the high 60's.

The eggs are sold at greenthumb which is a local store and the eggs are imported from the next town over.

The main thing I am worried about are the birds. So I turned into a crazy man who yells at the birds to stay away from his babies Laughing

Over the years I have seen a couple of large ones in the neighborhood but I assumed they came from the fields that were near by.

We'll just have to wait and see I guess. I have already bought and planted additional hedges and long leaved plants so they will have more places to make homes and find food.

Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:09 am

Quote:

I know what you’re thinking…not another my garden thread.

I thought, that it was going to be another garden thread with pretty flowers! and what do I find lurking inside? praying mantises! O.O
...maybe it should say something about insects... @_@

Quote:

...Take a look. Aren't they cute?...If you spray a mist of water they will drink right off your hand.

Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:58 am

Quote:

you'll be aphid and insect free if they all survive there...

What are those things if they're not insects? Tiny green prancing ponies? Smile

Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:09 am

They are actually surprisingly sweet little things. In a very predatory way. Smile

They will eat good insects as well as bad, though, won't they?

Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:28 am

^
They're cannibals, too, right? Cute as......

EDIT: Eeuurrgghh

Baiting Guru Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 2163

Where is your shed?

Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 1:47 pm

Amazing

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

That is very cool.

*** BANNED *** Joined: 18 Jul 2004 Posts: 2049

Klaasvaak wrote:

Where is your shed?

Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 4:31 pm

Wonderful Ghost! I usually have some in the garden but have noticed there's not too many this year.. They are such a great natural pest control, that I'll certainly try the eggs.

Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 2:04 am

Very nice. I once keep two egg pods in the house for three weeks and then hung one in my back yard and one at my parent's place on the coast. I thought of doing what you did but heard that they would eat each other so I made sure that the trees that I hung them to were very tall and infected with aphids. My Mum called me the next year to tell of her babies all over the tree. Four years later, I brushed against my tree and picked up a 4 inch hitch hiker on my back.

You can tell if the eggs have hatched by looking very carefully at the tiny flaps on the pods. They look like scales.

Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 3:24 am

Yes, if you hatch them in a bag you have to check them everyday or they will start eating each other. You also need to poke several pin size holes in the bag for air.

Two more egg casings hatched today and the wife took them out to the backyard, gave them a drink of water then set them free in a large hedge.

So far I would estimate about 50% of all we hatched decided to stick around.

Eight wrote:

They will eat good insects as well as bad, though, won't they?

Yes. They will eat whatever they can catch. If they are big enough they will even eat baby mice.

Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:55 am

Okay, maybe not so cute after all. Laughing

Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:47 am

Watch the below video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhtHDK2K73A&NR=1

Don't worry it has a happy ending Smile

I wouldn't post it other wise.

Shocked

I doubt the one's I have will grow that large but I have let loose well over 800 babies in my yard.

These are the ones I have... Click and I don't care what any of you naysayers say. They are very cute Laughing

Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 10:18 am

Great video!!

But the comments are even better:

Quote:

U GO MANTIS PWN THAT LITTLE BASTARD

I bet you the snake said, "HA HA! Nice try asshole!"

i wonder if a praying mantis wud win against a shoe...

mantis claws are incredibly strong. i reckon a mantis the size of a rhino could pick up a car

I am getting about 100 mantises for X-mas i am going to have them fight to the death

i wanna see that shit take on an anaconda

can a mantis take on a bug spray????
beat dat stupid mantis.....

Wow, thats just awesome. I so want one as a pet now, screw having a cat

Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 1:55 pm

Ghost wrote:

Don't worry it has a happy ending Smile

I doubt the mantis shares your view, having been denied its dinner. Laughing

I can see, though, why you like them.

Trophy Videos · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 5:40 pm

Mantises are way cooler than that crappy ant farm I had as a kid.
They look like aliens from another galaxy, man! Cool

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

I grew up outside of the Bay Area- we had plenty of Manti when I was a kid.

My mom often let me bring them into the house and turn them loose....well, actually, she didn't notice them until they would start roaming around and then she would hunt them all down and return them outside, while mumbling about me under her breath.

She preferred them to the King Snakes, though. Laughing

By far, I think that they are one of the more useful and neat insects to have around...doodle bugs are pretty neat, too, though.