# Praying Mantis



## Kevin (Apr 29, 2015)

We've always had a lot of mantis on our property, but I'm expecting a really bad bug year especially grasshoppers and skeeters. So I just ordered 4 egg sacs. The place that sells them says they will hatch somewhere between 100 and 400 each sac and they eat all insects good and bad.

We could use another 1600 praying mantis this year! I've never raised them before have any of you?

*Edit: Correction I ordered 10 sacs! *

Reactions: Funny 1 | Way Cool 6


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## Mike1950 (Apr 29, 2015)

That will be cool!! They are neat to watch when you find them. I do not know if they are anywhere the same but I bought 10,000 ladybugs in 90 or 91 and turned 1000+- loose every couple days for 2 weeks. ever since we have a huge lady bug hatch that lasts for weeks sometimes. They really like to munch on the aphids. I will try to get a picture this year. They hatch by the thousands........

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## JR Custom Calls (Apr 29, 2015)

I have one in my yard...

Reactions: Way Cool 2


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## NYWoodturner (Apr 29, 2015)

Kevin said:


> We've always had a lot of mantis on our property, but I'm expecting a really bad bug year especially grasshoppers and skeeters. So I just ordered 4 egg sacs. The place that sells them says they will hatch somewhere between 100 and 400 each sac and they eat all insects good and bad.
> 
> We could use another 1600 praying mantis this year! I've never raised them before have any of you?


Care to share the link that you ordered them from? Minimizing the insect population here would decrease the SDS drastically thus improving my quality of life  


(Spousal Distress Syndrome....)

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 7


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## SENC (Apr 29, 2015)

For your purposes, preying mantises would be superior.

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Kevin (Apr 29, 2015)

NYWoodturner said:


> Care to share the link that you ordered them from? Minimizing the insect population here would decrease the SDS drastically thus improving my quality of life
> 
> 
> (Spousal Distress Syndrome....)



Here it is Scott. They're out of all but the 3 and 5 pack quantities. I just looked at my order again and I ordered two 5 pack kits so I might have around another 4000 praying mantis this year! 

Hey that's fine with me I love the things. My shop always has several in it every year. Several hundred in there will cut down the borers and wasps.


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## Kevin (Apr 29, 2015)

Care for a little scorpion?

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## Kevin (Apr 29, 2015)

But I'm not keen on them eating my hummingbirds lol.

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## woodtickgreg (Apr 29, 2015)

Mantis are cool, I start seeing them about mid summer here. They hang out under the outside lights at my work for an easy meal, they get big when they eat good. They are so cool to watch how they turn their head and size up prey. The females eat the males after mating...................


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## Kevin (Apr 29, 2015)

woodtickgreg said:


> The females eat the males after mating...................



That's actually another myth. They *do* eat the heads of males sometimes usually before mating or during, and the male is able to finish the job anyways. This proves that male praying mantises are better men than us homo sapiens because I dare you to finish a sexual act after decapitation. But males have also been observed eating females AFTER they get what they want. Proving that male praying mantises are also smarter than we are.
But neither eats the other after mating . . . on a wide scale. It does happen but it's pretty rare actually.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 7 | Informative 1


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## ripjack13 (Apr 29, 2015)

Kevin said:


> So I just ordered 4 egg sacs. The place that sells them says they will hatch somewhere between 100 and 400 each sac and they eat all insects good and bad.



I was not aware you could buy these guys! that's awesome...


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## Kevin (Apr 29, 2015)

ripjack13 said:


> I was not aware you could buy these guys! that's awesome...



You can buy anything. Anything. And I do mean ANYTHING if you have the right amount of dough. You can even buy an election and be the silent owner of the frontman. But I digress.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 3


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## TurnTex (Apr 30, 2015)

I buy a couple pods each year and put them in my garden. I also buy ladybugs. You won't see them hatch but all of a sudden you will find tons of tiny Mantids running around everywhere.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 1


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## Kevin (May 1, 2015)

There's hundreds of videos people have made . . . . not seeing them hatch.

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## TurnTex (May 1, 2015)

Maybe I should have said you are unlikely to see them hatch unless you plan it and watch them regularly. I always tie them to one of the cucumber trellis uprights and leave them alone. Sorry I did not choose my words more precisely! :)

Oh yeah, cool video!


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## Kevin (May 17, 2015)

They started hatching this morning or last night. They look big! I checked yesterday morning and they had not come out yet. I had to really barter with my wife to let me keep them in the house until they egressed their cocoons. I wanted to let a few loose in the house but she looked at me and Cleo and said _"Two pets in the house are enough."_ We both pinned our ears back and took our little religious insect friends out to the garden and flower beds. (Don't tell but I saw a couple or three get out when she was opening the door. I had nothing to do with it! ).





I ordered 10 sacs but was shorted 1 in the order and left 1 in my shop. I love seeing them in my shop each year now they should be all over it. But here's a tip for you all that are going to follow in my footsteps and make a habitat for them in a clothes basket in your house: Don't make the noon coffee and lift the lid on your mantis house right before putting the decanter in the machine. Once I lifted the lid and saw all those little bug-eaters flitting about smartly my mind erased everything prior to that second. When we returned from our release program our coffee was all over the kitchen counter and floor.

Reactions: Funny 2 | Way Cool 4


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## SENC (May 17, 2015)

I see you're copying Keller's painted toes, Kevin.

Reactions: Funny 6


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## Kevin (May 17, 2015)

SENC said:


> I see you're copying Keller's painted toes, Kevin.



My wife will be relieved that you think it is mine. She's always been self conscience about having a finger on each foot. She'd kill me if she knew I didn't crop it out.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## SENC (May 17, 2015)

Kevin said:


> My wife will be relieved that you think it is mine. She's always been self conscience about having a finger on each foot. She'd kill me if she knew I didn't crop it out.


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## Alan Sweet (May 17, 2015)

As Kevin said, praying mantis sometimes eats her mate just after—or even during—mating. 

This behavior seems not to deter males from reproduction. Similar to some tarantula species, they get to have sex once, then they become a meal.

Guess it better be a satisfying affair. (Wonder what Freud would have to say.)


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## SENC (May 18, 2015)

Kevin said:


> My wife will be relieved that you think it is mine. She's always been self conscience about having a finger on each foot. She'd kill me if she knew I didn't crop it out.


I should have guessed. They certainly looked more reginal than I would have suspected of you. Keller, on the other hand...

Reactions: Creative 1 | Useful 1


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## ripjack13 (May 18, 2015)

Leprechaun feet are smaller. But I'm pretty sure Kevin paints his toes too...

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## ripjack13 (Jun 13, 2017)

I ordered 5 egg sacks. The first batch hatched today...

I named this lil guy shenanigan...

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## ripjack13 (Jun 13, 2017)



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## ripjack13 (Jun 13, 2017)



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## ripjack13 (Jun 13, 2017)

I counted around 67 that I could catch. I released em all over my yard. I'm still finding stragglers here ne there.
4 more sacks to go....

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## Spinartist (Jun 13, 2017)

We have so many lizards here that I don't think many of them would survive.

Reactions: Like 1


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## ripjack13 (Jun 13, 2017)

I love lizards! The ones that are real small, my memere used to call em "Charlies"...I have no idea why...


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## ripjack13 (Jun 16, 2018)

I have not seen a single mantis since the day the hatched.
You'd think they'd come around for fathers day at least once....

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 2


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## JR Parks (Jun 16, 2018)

Marc,
Do you get them at any specific place? Or just eBay ?


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## ripjack13 (Jun 16, 2018)

JR Parks said:


> Marc,
> Do you get them at any specific place? Or just eBay ?



This place.....
https://www.planetnatural.com/product/praying-mantis-egg-cases/

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## Herb G. (Jun 16, 2018)

ripjack13 said:


> This place.....
> https://www.planetnatural.com/product/praying-mantis-egg-cases/



I used to get my grow lights from them.

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## andy close (Jul 18, 2018)

I bought mantis egg sacs from Planet Natural (link above) many years ago as a gift to my Mom. She took them to school (she was a teacher) for the kids to watch them hatch. After hatching, she took them home to her garden. I really should do that again for Mom & wife.
I've seen mantis every once in a while here in the Chicagoland area, but it's been quite a while.

Reactions: Like 1


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