Praying Mantis

[homegrown]

Good news! While i thought the mantis's were being decimated(finding all kinds of skeletons around the garden)..come to find out that they shed their exoskeleton six times before they reach adulthood. Their masters at being undetected...i have a plant on my deck. There has been a mantis in it since they hatched(2 weeks or so)....cant find the faker if you stare at it for 20 minutes..then all of a sudden..it pops up for a pic. They can change colors to mimic there surroundings too. i really like these bugs. they seem to prefer winged insects..sand flies,aphids,fruit flies,leaf hoppers. Ant's and earwigs..not so much. maybe when they get a bit bigger.

 

[alltatup]

EXOSKELETONS!!! I used to have tarantulas back in the late 90s, and they were amazing when they shed the exoskel. They'd lay on their backs to shed it.

They ain't goin nowhere, HG: they LOVE your Cannabis garden. And I think of them as ANIMALS rather than mere 'bugs'. Guardians of the Goddess.

 

[SoOrbudgal]

I was looking at Lowes the other day they only had lady bugs they were out of mantis i wouldn't mind setting a bunch free in our garden.

 

[SoOrbudgal]

That's great homegrown i sure enjoy watching those little critters move.

 

[homegrown]

alltatup, they seem to have no fear of people...stick your hand out close enough..they check you out with their attack legs.. then gladly climb aboard. Or just start crawling up your leg when your standing in the grass(im the only one that doesnt have a problem with that..freaks everybody else out hahah) Their not fond of the weed plants..there isnt any bugs on them(i put um on the plant..they bug out in a couple of hours). I have a large Wisteria that gets attacked by aphids every year..that seems to be where most of the mantis's are growing up. their like another pet...lol

 

[homegrown]

And SoOrbudgal, maybe check out your local nurseries..thats where i got mine. We sold out pretty early around here at the box stores.

 

[SoOrbudgal]

Thanks homegrown i did not think to check the farmers co-op

 

[NickyChicks]

That's so cool!! Awsome little creatures, almost every year I find big praying mantis' at work. The first pic is oct 18, pics 2&3 are last Sept. If they'll crawl onto my hand, I bring them to the apple tree behind our shop. They look like little aliens 👽

 

[alltatup]

How freakin cool is that!!! I tell ya, mantises are drawn to cannabis cultivators. You can tell he really likes you. That's a skinny ass male looking for a big plump female.

ps. You're the one who looks like an alien to him!!! ;-}

 

[homegrown]

Three weeks after birth..their on the move. About two inches long now and they eat a lot. doesnt matter what either. I didnt think they ate slow moving insects, like worms or caterpillars..but yup. they do. Very messy lolol

 

[MeEasy]

What a coincidence I was reading about praying mantis today because a guy was having problems with caterpillars and I looked up a natural way of getting them out.

https://www.prayingmantisshop.com/info-mantis.html

 

[alltatup]

Worms and caterpillers = canoli and burrito!!!!! Squishy is yummy!!

 

[CaptainWiese91]

So fucking cool 😎. Awesome predators

 

[Dieselgrower]

way cool. They are awesome!

 

[homegrown]

Heres a couple recent pics of Bug Control Crew. Between these and the very large amounts of dragonflies hanging around the pond this year, we can actually sit outside at dusk..without being tormented by skeeters. Seems the bigger the mantis's get the harder they are to find. Took a pic of this one character..hasnt left this plant since it was born..its actually eating a leg of a bug but there is a bird turd on the leaf...which make it look like its smoking a doob and theres a big cloud around its head.:hard-laugh:.lol Thats my new avitar!!

 

[alltatup]

They've gotten HUGE!!! He's adorable! Let's hope you have some nice females in there who will leave their egg sacs this year!!

 

[PLreef]

Very cool. This is something I've wanted to try. Occasionally ill see a praying mantis in my garden.

 

[SoOrbudgal]

Love the new avatar healthy little bugger.

 

[Rwise]

A praying mantis has been spotted on a plant in my patch! And yesterday a small "Walking Stick" was on my window! Gotta luv mother natures bug catchers!

 

[UndergroundFarmer]

I miss walking sticks! I used to see them all the time in Oklahoma (especially Cherokee county) but not in Missouri.