This creepy guy hung out all day long on my butterfly bush. It's longer than my hand and I was afraid it was hummer hunting.
As I just went back out to recheck on it, look what almost happened. Good thing it was looking at me trying to figure out how to take a close-up (I'm hopeless):
Mercy!!
Get that ol booger transferred to another part of your yarden .. so he'll maybe be a bit more beneficial .. and perhaps a bit less detrimental a risk .. to the flutterbyes or the hummbers!
Glad that you had his eyes 'fixed' on you ... (that feisty lil devil). .. heehee
- Magpye
I'm guessing that blurry thing in front of the butterfly is a Praying Mantis? I don't know from the picture but have seen the pic on the internet of one that killed a hummer. Thinking about him hanging there looking at you IS creepy!
oh Vi please move him elsewhere. He is a good guy but will eat what he can get lol
Oh, yes pleasemove him his ia a GOOD guy. I love them. i used to gather their casings in the winter when I lived in NC. I would take them and put them in my garden and wath them grow all summer.
Hi Donna :)
If ya look at the thumbnail pic - it looks like an alien got in the way of your butterfly picture! lol
Still there at 7am, I tried using a stick to move him but it didn't work. How does one move the big guy?
If you're not afraid of him, you can just pick him up gently by his body and move him. I've done that before. Kinda gives you the heebie-jeebies, but it can be done! LOL
They can actually kill a hummer?
That's what they say. I saw a praying mantis in my yard the other day too. I thought about putting the axe to him, but I didn't. If I ever see one kill one of my hummers, however, it will be really hard not put the hurt on those praying mantises.
I agree, the hummers bring us so much pleasure each year!!!
Vi they can fly very well. Maybe if you poke it in the bum a few times lol
LOL... if he only knew he caused such a stir, the stories he could tell his bug buds.... 'Yeah, you shoulda' seen her, had her begging for mercy, I did, hahaha'
I love it. thank you for a smile at the end of the day :)
lol
I resorted to breaking off the whole branch of the bush to move him. He didn't like it and started climbing toward me. YUK! I didn't know they flew well, now I have to start looking over my shoulder...eek! I have way too many butterflys, dragonflys and hummers around, bet he thinks he found paradise.
Pray Mantis will kill hummingbirds. If you hang hummingbird feeders near trees/hedges, please remove them. Pray mantis are known to hide behind branches to wait for hummers.
I am a wildlife rehabber and it is a well known fact amongst us.
Oh my gosh, I didn't even know they were large enough. We used to hand feed ours, never saw them eat anything that big, phew (am glad of that). I do grow nepenthes though that can get big enough to eat a rat, that I think is kewl..lol we don't see nearly enough praying mantis here in Ocala, a few here and there but, I do have a lot of assassin bugs, whom I protect fervently.
that is pretty smart on their part though, am glad my hummers depend on my flowers only :)
Thanks for the info Spider.
Liz
lol Vi, that pic is too funny! and I can see you running across the yard with the branch squealing like a little girl as he climbed up towards your hand!
Praying Mantis are great to have around the yard, but I try to keep them located away from the butterfly garden. I just pick 'em up and move ' out. But then I grew up doing that. I'm not sure how I would handle them if I wasn't used to them. Please don't kill them. Use gloves, plastic bags, whatever, and relocate them. They really are a "good" bug to have around. They will eat aphids and such and in general, keep your flowers tidy.
ginni
No one needs to kiil them. just keep feeders away from hedges/branches. They are lovely bugs.
Have seen way too many praying mantises/manti/manteeces feeding on butterflies. Seems everytime I walk around the local butterfly park I see two or three happily ripping the heads of butterflies. Not a pretty sight!
I'd say toss it into the neighbor's yard!!! :o)
~ Cat
Here's one eating a Queen butterfly
