What is the opinion from you vet growers on the praying mantis? I
bought one of those egg pods...but I was probably too late...July in
zone 5-6. I only saw 1 baby and a few others later some distance
away. Are they worth having as friends. Thanks Joe Mc

Unless you are a male mantis... they are great bug eaters. Get the egg
cases earlier in the spring next year.

We had a female outside our office door for a week or so, she turned a
cool gray color. Kept stealing from the spider's web.

John!

wrote:
What is the opinion from you vet growers on the praying mantis? I
bought one of those egg pods...but I was probably too late...July in
zone 5-6. I only saw 1 baby and a few others later some distance
away. Are they worth having as friends. Thanks Joe Mc

I buy a couple of egg pods every year, usually in March or April (Northern
CA). I usually see them a couple dozen times per year. Sometimes they are
grey/brown, sometimes they are green. I wonder if they change color based
on their surroundings? I usually see one or two very large ones early in
the year - apparently surviving through winter.. If you've seen one I bet
there are more. If there's food for them they will stick around. If not,
they'll go elsewhere. Also I've heard they will hunt each other - don't
know if that true or not.

wrote in message
oups.com...
What is the opinion from you vet growers on the praying mantis? I
bought one of those egg pods...but I was probably too late...July in
zone 5-6. I only saw 1 baby and a few others later some distance
away. Are they worth having as friends. Thanks Joe Mc

In article ,
"M.Paul" wrote:

I buy a couple of egg pods every year, usually in March or April (Northern
CA). I usually see them a couple dozen times per year. Sometimes they are
grey/brown, sometimes they are green. I wonder if they change color based
on their surroundings? I usually see one or two very large ones early in
the year - apparently surviving through winter.. If you've seen one I bet
there are more. If there's food for them they will stick around. If not,
they'll go elsewhere. Also I've heard they will hunt each other - don't
know if that true or not.



Yes, it's true...

Unfortunately.

And the females always bite the males head off during the mating act,
but the decapitated body continues to mate.

Insect sex is wierd. ;-)
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

On 10 Nov 2005 16:36:27 -0800, wrote:

What is the opinion from you vet growers on the praying mantis? I
bought one of those egg pods...but I was probably too late...July in
zone 5-6. I only saw 1 baby and a few others later some distance
away. Are they worth having as friends. Thanks Joe Mc

I was going to buy some last year but could only find cases of the
oriental mantis rather than the native American one. The orientals are
commonly raised in captivity and are much larger. I've seen pics of
them with caught hummingbirds. I don't know if they survive a northern
winter, but I bet they do in the south.

In article , ()
wrote:

In article ,
OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:

Insect sex is wierd. ;-)

And human sex isn't?


ROFL!!!
No kidding!

Glad someone else sees human sexuality as the biggest joke in the
universe. ;-)

I know Mark Twain did.......
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson