Had a visitor in my arena today. IMG_20210901_130612931|375x500
Second one I’ve ever seen.
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An XC course decorating perk, one yr the course designer gifted me an egg pod! Found in the cut cedar brought in for the fence filler. It went straight into our garden.
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Did you get a ton of mantis babies?
I rescued one once when I was a kid and as I was kindly placing it into a safe place, it bit me! Or maybe it pinched me, I’m not sure. But wow, did that hurt. I was surprised at it’s strength.
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The first time I ever saw a mantis was at 11 pm on a vacation in Maryland with my cousin. It was waiting on my car door and flew at me. I screamed so loud, my cousin screamed, we both ran for cover. I thought it was some sort of small animal like a bat or flying squirrel. We both grew up on the west coast and she had never seen one in real life either.
Now I’m used to them. I think they are a really neat bug, and one of the few I’m not immediately drawn to squish.
Oh I love them! And stick bugs! If they’re in a walking path, I always take the time to get them out of harm’s way.
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Omg! You too?
I had a praying mantis LAND on me on Saturday while I was mowing the grass paddocks. I maybe let one of the small grass lots get totally overrun with lots of vegetation… so I was taking it very slowly on the mower when I looked up and saw this ginormous bug flying towards me from 40 feet away. I was thinking “um… that’s a pretty big dragonfly for me to see it from so far away… please don’t land on me…” and it landed right on my knee. Holy Hannah, they are HUGE! We just kind of stared at each other for a second in total disbelief – me being like “WTF are you?” and it probably thinking “b^$$#$ just ruined my house!”.
Of course, it flew away the second I tried to pull my phone out of my pocket.
What did you do with your new neighbor? Got any potted plants they can chill in?
I’ve lived all over the east coast and never seen a living mantis in the wild before. I had no idea they were so big!
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I’m surprised by how many on here haven’t seen them - I don’t see them often but they’re not unheard of in the Midwest, didn’t realize they weren’t as common elsewhere.
Always thought they were neat-looking bugs, though I didn’t actually realize they could fly (usually when I see them they’re chilling on a deck/porch, plant, whatever).
We saw at least 30 on our property last year, and a few adults this year plus a mass of freshly hatched babies. They’re really cool and good to have around. I also always rescue them from walkways when I see them!
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I’m also surprised how many have never seen one. I have tons of them here. I escorted one out of my garage last Friday and saw one while mowing on Tuesday, and that was while not even looking for them. I’m sure I could walk outside and find one within 10 minutes right now. I don’t see the tiny babies that often though. I see adults and egg cases the most.
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I assume this was for me. I left him be. Forgot to see if he was still there today. Of note, while riding yesterday none of the arena screens had flies on them like usual. If he took care of other bugs I hope he stays!
Where?
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Central KY
“Manny” the mantis was still in the arena yesterday! Different window.
They will kill hummingbirds so if you feed hummingbirds please watch out for praying mantis .
Any of the birding sites will confirm this and you tubes of them eating hummingbirds are easy (ugh) to find.
I have found praying mantis on my feeders and since they are so cool I relocate them miles away from houses
Black snakes will also crawl up shepards poles to get to feeders, they also get relocated.
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They CAN but it doesn’t happen that often, I feed both hummers and actually buy baby mantis to help in my garden.
It has to be a very very big mantis to get a hummer.
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Interesting, I have one hummingbird that I’ve only seen in front of the house. Haven’t gotten around to putting up a feeder. This is the only hummingbird I’ve ever seen, assuming it’s the same one every time. The mantis is on the small side.
I have a stick bug waiting for me every morning on the snap to open the gate into the barn to do chores.
I have to open it carefully so as not to dislodge it, we are getting to be friends, I may soon need a name for it, Mister Twig maybe.
I talk to it and horses are impatient waiting for food and wondering who I am visiting with.
First time, I can’t see good, is not quite daylight yet and opening the snap he moved and I jumped, didn’t know what was on the snap.
Stick bugs are so neat, this one is a good 3"+ long.
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Sorry you are mistaken even a smallish a praying mantis will kill and eat hummingbirds, please many videos on you tube if you can bear to watch them, not pretty.
Spiders kill them even dragon flies. I know hard to believe.
If you put out a feeder you’ll find more than one hummingbird w/o a feeder they don’t congregate.
However baby time is over and depending on where you live hummers may be moving on or a neighbor may have a better garden. They primarily live on bugs.
Can’t find a video of a small mantis, all the videos in info shows a mantis the size of the hummer if not bigger.
