BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Exotic Pets Praying Mantis

I buy egg cases for my garden each year so that I am adding more each year. I just love them. Several times I have found them in places where they can get hurt I just put my hand out and help him up and they sit right there until I put them on a safe bush or flower. I would like to learn a whole lot more about the mantis. What better way than research an article <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I would love to see the museum in Victoria. I have been to Canada about three times. I really enjoyed the camping trip to Vancouver Island it was beautiful!
Diana

Praying mantis are really very harmless and a good insect to study.
Have you seen a stick insect, Diane ? Much bigger than a mantis...got good camouflage in the trees ...they really do resemble a stick. On the ground they rock back and forwards..I suppose because they are out of their usual habitat.

They are unique to NZ..I think .

http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/resear...ls.asp?Bu_Id=79

The ones I don't like much are wetas...they like rotten wood etc. and can JUMP...my word they can ... and nip too !! <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />
Sometimes you can be blissfully getting wood from the woodpile and VOILA ! a weta is clinging to it. Be sure it is hastily dropped !! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/TePapa/English...dSimilar/Wetas/

They discovered some very big ones up North here in the rugged bush ...they are now a protected species as they thought these particular ones were extinct until recently.

.... but ....SPIDERS...now they are my pet phobia....YUK !! enough said !!!

Diana - Where do you buy egg cases for your garden?

I buy mine at Capitol nursery in Elk Grove but I have bought them in garden books. I think Burpee carries them. Next garden book I get (I throw everything away this week when we moved) I will let you know the name of the mail order nursery that sales them. But try your local nursery they might just have them. Make sure you put them outside right away. I gave one egg case to a friend of mine who forgot and left it in the house. I guess he had a bit of a bug problem. oops.
Diana <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

What do I ask for? "Do you carry praying matis egg cases?"

Thanks

Oh and are they going to eat my butterflies?

I'm in central Canada, rainy. One of my sisters has been to Victoria... I'll have to tell her about the musem for next time. Thanks for passing that along!

I watch my mantis frequently and never seen one eat a butterfly, I am certainly not saying it isn't possible.
Diana

Sure, there with other beneficial insects. They can also be found online. The egg cases overwinter and hatch in the spring. Since the cases are refridgerated and it will take two to three weeks of warm weather to hatch. Each case will yield from 50 to 200 adults. Figure on about three egg cases for a small area up to 5000 square feet and increase accordingly.
Diana

Yes, if they carry them they'll know what they are. I just went and picked up my seeds for my new herb garden. That is the part of moving I like, I can revamp with new ideas with my gardens.