What's with all the double posts? GW is having problems. I tried signing in Mon and Tues. Got error messages, and one message asking if I was sure I wanted to go to.......... Strange. Teen, why did you ask if I wanted PM to control insects? Purple, several months ago, I Googled PM. Several sites suggested these cuties would rid bad insects, and healther for the environment. I checked Ebay, but there weren't any eggs/cases available. Guess they weren't being sold because of the season. Organic gardeners use beneficial insects instead of insecticides...besides ladybugs, mantis were mentioned. And they are cute..:) Can Anole's live inside? If not, our winters would kill them. What I was told about mantis, 'not from a seller,' is adults die but their eggs survive the cold. The woman I talked to on the phone this morning used to work in a plant store. She found two mantis at work, brought them home..she said, the following year they had babies galore.. She lives in IL, too. If mantis eat ants, they'll live happily ever after. The town is loaded w/ants. They're everywhere. For a while we didn't see many, 'walking Coco,' but since the temps increased, THEY'RE BACK! There's all types of insects they can devour here. Anyway, after browsing Ebay earlier, I found a seller that sends 2 or 3 cases and 100 free ladybugs. :) 9.99. I started this post around 4pm. Dh came home, I had to make dinner, ate, washed dishes, fed Sparkle, Cricket and Coco...it's now 6:16pm. Sheesh. Purp, even if PM don't do the job I expect, they're adorable to look at. And I'll be a proud mama..... Hi Karen. Since Jan/Feb, I've gone through half a dozen gallon, vinegar containers..Heck, I even wash floors w/vinegar..lol. I clean kitchen counters, fridge, stove, bathrooms, computer screen and TV's w/vinegar. The entire house smells like salad. Dh hates it..lol. DS said it reminds him of a Chinese food dish he orders. Yesterday, while watching a show on tv, there was a commercial about a book that's out..how to kill pests organically...that's not the name of the book... They displayed a 1-800 number on the bottom of the tv screen to order the book. If an order was placed within 10-mins of the commercial, a second book was included..how to rid larger pests like squirrels, rabbits, etc. During one scene, they showed a woman drawing a circle on the floor, using chalk, around a dog bowl. Ants won't walk past a line..Strange, huh? But, most of the info can be found online for free. BTW, I started out using 50/50% vinegar and water, now I use it full strength. Vinegar kills ants on contact. Rhizo. I won't keep a mantis inside...Some sites talk about keeping mantis as pets, lol, but unless they're fed properly, I can't imagine the poor little guys living long, let alone laying eggs. About the species. There are three varieties sold on Ebay. Chinese, European and Carolina. There might be others... The company I ordered from is located in MN, but they order eggs..'by professionals,' lol. Rhizo, Terro works great..every so often a stray ant walks across the floor. Since you use Terro baits, have you ever noticed deformed strays? They're disgusting! Some look like they have two heads..oh gross. Seeing this ants is one reason I don't like using chemicals. Heck, seeing them sure doesn't make it easier. And they spray fresh food with similiar crap. I've got the weather channel on..To those who live in AR and OK, please be safe.

Oh Rhizo, you're right. I'm cringing. OMG, a non-fiction horror story! I'd have moved every last bit of furniture, with either dh's big shoe/broom handle inserted since I don't dare near any spider, let alone a black widow, or a fly swater used to swat ants! Donned in thick gloves and winter boots!! Honest to God, I got goose bumps reading yesterday's event at your house. Will you or Robert sit on the couch? Do you find webs? Ohhh, I hope she didn't have babies..look for her dh's skeleton. Might lead to her whereabouts. UUULLLKKK. Several deep breaths..... Your Mantis is a little monster. Poor hummers. Can Robert catch and trasfer to a different location? A wooded area? I can't believe he/she bit you. And broke your skin. Do you know if they have teeth? Darn sharks! No matter, I'd rather be bit by a mantis than see a BW. Auron. After I ordered PM egg cases, then posted here on GW, I then discovered mantis weren't as innocent as they look. When mantis stand they pose as in prayer. After hearing Rhizo's story I know what they're praying for. lol. At first I thought mantis ate grass, weeds, etc, then found they ate bugs, but didn't think it possible they'd eat a bird..even a little hummer. We rarely see hummers here, so I pray, if by some miracle the mantis live and grow full length, the hummers stay away. I realize it's a matter of survival. I can't watch nature shows when one animal devours another, even though it's natural. I assumed mantis ate ants..a pest I've been trying to rid 4-5 yrs. Ants are everywhere, including our house. As much as I dislike finding hundreds of ants, I'd rather deal w/ants than Rhizo's black widow. lol. Purple, thank you. You're so funny, 'in a good way.' :) Yes, the brown things are mantis. Babies. Mantis type wasn't on the receipt so I wrote the seller. He said they're Chinese Mantis. Oh Rhizo, you're right about exotic mantis. There's one type that resembes a semi-white/semi-transparent, double-petaled flower. He/she is BEAUTIFUL. I'm certain they're not hardy in IL though.

Thank you, thank you!!!!!! I was reading my old Merck Manual last night about appendicitis. Less than 50% of people have the typical symptoms, pain on lower left abdomen, fever, nausea, vomiting, etc. I have no pain or any of the other stuff. Plus on a CT scan you really cannot tell early appendicitis but since this scan was compared to one from 3 months ago the appendix has changed in size. You know, I forgot that about 3 weeks ago I may have had a UTI but I never bothered the doctor with that and that pain went away. Maybe the appendix had jumped in there to help fight some infection and so became inflamed itself. Who knows? The Merck Manual says that perhaps 15% of people who have appendix removed don't even have a bad appendix. Sometimes the pain is from something else. But, from what I understand, the standard treatment today is to laprascopically (sp?)remove the appendix because of the serious danger of rupture. Rupture can kill you. So now I am on 2 antibiotics to lower the inflammation, etc. until I can get the poor baby removed. Thanks for the prayers. See, God has been watching out for me. Thanks to you all for keeping me in your thoughts. Love from Phoenix. Eileen

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!