Recruited a defensive army. Oothecas anyone?

[Floopydoop]

Used these guys to get a couple eggsacks for Chinese Mantises.

Anyone else used them on purpose instead of having them just arrive in your garden?

Going full on war before the grasshoppers even arrive. A bit of help about release and care would be sweet if you have knowledge to share.

Here's the site. Never used before.

I'll post an update when they arrive, should ship Monday Priority Mail.

https://www.prayingmantisshop.com/mantis-egg.html#egg

[9fingerleafs]

Yes. I just did very recently. A big 5 inch Chinese brown mantis layed in a metal rack next to my plants and left. I put it above the pots and 4 weeks later I came one morning to check on the plants (outdoors) and the pot was full of tiny tiny mantises. They hide al together around the fabric pot and under the handles. Carefully I took one by one and spread over all the plants (at least 50 plants) putting most of them in the 30 that are flowering. I find them often hanging out in the coco. They trip when I water and move away. When I harvest I shake the plant vigorously to make them Jump away. I carefully go thru the harvest disposed leaves to find often a stray and take back into the garden. I’ve seen less every day but I hope they come back eventually. Got a few pics if you’re interested. I asked around a few weeks ago and people didn’t really care. Maybe not really aware of the whole mantis reproduction cycle

[9fingerleafs]

Just make sure you spread them apart. The day they hatch they’re slow. In a couple of days they get quick and jumpy and eat each other

[Floopydoop]

Yep, grasshoppers were my main challenge last year (if you don't count 2 months of red/yellow skies due to antifafires on west coast). Thinkin these guys will help out. Seems super interesting either way tho. Used to seeing them in high desert in CA. Wonder if they'll actually breed for next year as well. New hobbies galore Hells yeah, lets see some pics.

[9fingerleafs]

I think one year is too soon. But once they get impregnated they can lay for life. They keep the male dna inside them. At least one coming back will get the cycle going all over again

[SoOrbudgal]

How cool this time i'm looking early at the farmers co-op for mantis & ladybugs they are quick to go.

[Floopydoop]

All my ladybug outlets seem to have dried up earlier than last year. Those would be nice tho. Got any leads online handy? Didn't have much trouble last year, but they are next to roses. Them get eaten by aphids regularly.

[PeterMatanzas]

An entomologist would say "don't do this. You are relocating an insect with its own eco system into another eco system." I'm not an entomologist though. I have bought lady bugs so I'm guilty.

[Floopydoop]

Says has been naturalized since 1800's, but yeah I can see your point. They seem to thrive mostly eastern US....they'll probably die out here in So Cal

[desertdan]

I lived in CA. in the 60s and there were ladybugs everywhere in the San Jacinto mountains outside Palm Springs. We saw them by the millions on logs and trees. I was about 7 at the time and will never forget the sight of all those bugs.

[homegrown]

Awesome predators for larger insects. Purchased a Ootheca last spring, I found they didnt hang around my weed plants very much just because there wasnt enough to eat plus i started spraying for WPM in mid summer. When their tiny they eat everything..! As they get bigger larger meals are preferred. And a hatch usually releases 50-200 babies. Lifespan is 6 month to a year. They lay the ootheca then die. They will love grasshoppers!!

[Floopydoop]

Yeah, they are so cool alien lookin things. They'll have a feast this year with the plague of locusts predicted. Guessing outdoor grows in eastern states may be an issue this year?

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1414391/Plague-warning-us-Brood-X-locust-swarm-east-cicadas-America-news

[Floopydoop]

They have arrived. Why does Sabbath's War Pigs keep running thru my head..... Now to see if they hatch.

[Floopydoop]

Couple of cheapie binder clips, a pipecleaner stick and some cheesecloth.

Hatch, dangit!

[Floopydoop]

[9fingerleafs]

You should spread gem cause they’ll eat each other

[Floopydoop]

9fingerleafs yep! They're spread across the backyard pretty well, on all the foliage that surrounds the planting location. Waitin on the ladies to get used to the sun. Super excited they hatched. More things to watch. It's been a boring pandemic.

[9fingerleafs]

Yep. I’ve noticed most of them like to hang at soil level (coco) right at the base of the plant. They freak out when I water and climb up. They’re used to me moving them around and when I harvest they crawl out of the trim pile to be relocated back to the garden

[alltatup]

We love mantises on GWE!!! There have been some great posts about these magnificent animals!!! Great cannabis guardians.

[Floopydoop]

WOW They're beautiful little aliens

[Floopydoop]

As a final thought for anyone thinking about buying oothecas.

First time for me, and it went about as well as it could have. Fairly simple, but takes long term attention (of a sort).

Just over a month inside the jar. Added some paper towel strips and the grass that came with the egg.

Every 4 or 5 days, I'd drip about a tablespoon of water in the towel/grass then reseal jar with the cheesecloth in place of metal jar lid. Took around a month to hatch from package delivery.

Kept it on top of my cable modem, it generates a tiny amount of warmth and was good enough to keep the jar humid but not wet/beading on walls.

Strangely, I think the bugs woke me up when they hatched. Looked at the jar and it was a fuzzy mess of birthing babies.

Super fun. Maybe try it with your kids?

[JeffInCanada]

Thanks for posting this, very interesting. Super cool too. The insect world fascinates me to no end. All hail the Mantis! Extra points for the Black Sabbath reference.

[SleepyTibbs]

This was a pretty fun late night read, I had no idea this was even a thing to do in outdoor grows. I am pretty stoned too so I am imagining them as a pretty cartoonish army out there in your garden.

[homegrown]

Hey Floopydoop glad you had a successful hatch! The fun has just begun lol. I didnt go to all the effort you did to hatch the babies(just hung them on my deck umbrella and let nature take its course) but you'll get some enjoyment from them and some serious pest control! I had one last year that never left my deck..like a pet mantis..haha .Dont be alarmed when you find one on your shirt,arm, head, crawling up your leg..didnt bother me but they will freak most people out when it happens.