Aren't you lucky! They eat tons and tons of "bad" bugs. I usually have one every year, but haven't seen any yet, darn it.

When we are lucky we get some passing through in the summer. I really like the triangular shape of their heads. When they move them it reminds me of a robot. They are good insect eaters.

Did you know they eat/kill hummingbirds? I had two, one green and one brown, maybe male and female, in my flowers the other day. So far they haven't gotten to any hummers.

donnakt, I have never heard this. Tell me more...

Nver have heard that either. We get a few every year, and have one that has been here 4 days that we know of. We have been calling it out pet mantis, because it is seen in the same place everyday. This is the time of year spiders start coming in and it seems to be hanging out by a web we have not sprayed yet.

Never have heard that either. We get a few every year, and have one that has been here 4 days that we know of. We have been calling it out pet mantis, because it is seen in the same place everyday. This is the time of year spiders start coming in and it seems to be hanging out by a web we have not sprayed yet.

The preferred food of Mantis is other insects, but yes a Preying Mantis will catch and eat the smallest of humming birds along with lizards, tree toads, frogs, small mice. I have not seen it happen in person but I did see a film many years back of a VERY Large Mantis eating a very small hummingbird. I mean LARGE VERY LARGE, (nearly 10 inches or about 2/3 the length of my forearm)the largest I have ever seen Mantis and the tiniest hummers I have ever seen it wasn't much bigger than a bumble bee. I was so surprised when I heard this and then saw the film in my Agriculture class. I still want the beneficial uses of the praying mantis and will attract them to my yard. I think they are awseome looking too.

LIL

I had one the other nite on my storm door.

Wow, isnt that amazing....I never would have thought it possible. I looked it up and found some great pictures (but sad) of one actually eating a hummingbird :-(
Maybe thats why I saw it in the first place because we have a huge population of hummers right now !

!!! I just saw one in my daughters flowers last weekend. I can't imagine seeing or wanting to see one big enough to eat a humming bird!

I've had them in my garden for years and years. I'd ordered some of the Chinese egg cases probably 30+ years ago. They've mated with the locals, apparently, because now I get ones that look sort of halfway between the 2. I did bring an egg case to the house in the country, but didn't notice any PM here this year.

They are great to have around, and such fun to see. I'm careful, though, not to let the neighborhood kids know they're there. Most are good kids and wouldn't hurt them, but you never know about their friends--wouldn't want the cute and helpful critters harmed in anyway.

My perennial gardens are full of different kinds of bees and butterflies all of the time. Praying mantids are NOT welcome, believe me! Once you begin to see little heaps of butterfly wings on the ground, you realize what the little marauders are after. :-)

If I spot one in the vegetable garden, I'll grudgingly let it stay....but they can't hang out anywhere else.

I'd be very careful about allowing children to handle these insects. They have powerful mandibles and can inflict a bite that may be scary to a child. AS they get older, it would probably be perfectly fine. There's probably not a more interesting creature to behold, in a kid's mind!

When I was growing up the older kids told the younger ones that the mantises (and also walking sticks) would spit in your eyes and you would go blind. I would never go to the country school outhouse as they were always in there.

It is is still in my mind and I keep my distance, but would not harm one.

They also told us grasshoppers would spit tobacco juice in our hands if we caught them and they do spit (exude) something brown. So why not believe them about the mantises and going blind.

I love praying mantis and have not seen one in quite a few years. Once I had one on my Abelia bush, and we moved and brought the mantis with us. He stayed all summer. I would half kill flies and feed him. I could watch for hours. The females eat their mate after mating. Hmmm

Count me among the mantids fans! I love to watch them. The insect world is a tough world but at least they only kill to eat.

My big green tomato worms not only exude green stuff - they can project, it, too!

Han't seen any praying mantis around here, this year.

ole joyful

ole joyful, I remember those worms from when I was a child and they were so ugly but very interesting to me !
The other night my husband had built a fire and was listening to music (outside) and I could hear the crickets, and I really think they LIKE music, because the louder it was the more noise they made. When he turned down the music, they still made noise but not near as loud and he would turn it up again, and they got really loud again !
I love the sound they make, years ago my son had lots of reptiles that needed to be fed crickets and some of them always got loose in the house and I loved to hear them at night, LOL

They are interesting because they will turn their heads and watch you. One of my friends, a 2nd grade teacher, will capture one and feed it crickets. She's even had them lay eggs, hatching out tiny mantises (obviously!). They are cool insects, but I don't think they spit, soxxxx.