I had read about this but never thought in a million year's I would ever see it in my own yard. I was looking out my window and saw this bright green thing on my hummer feeder and the hummers weren't feeding, I thought no way! and went to look. Sure enough, there she was. I moved her and the next day there she was again. She has now gone to meet her maker.
day two
Good for you! I find that every now and then I like to assert my dominance in the garden. I think it's important to remind everyone that I'm at the top of the food chain, LOL! As much as I like caterpillars, most bugs freak me out and mantises are one of them.
Melanie
Isn't that a praying mantis? illegal to kill LOL just kidding, not sure about that, seems everything is illegal to kill these days, possums, snakes, chicken hawks. bout drives me nuts can't even kill the critters that kill my animals.
I do think that's a good bug to have around though. Kills lots of aphids Every one I see I drag their butts out to the greenhouse and give him a happy home out there.
I have always been glad to see them in the garden. I have been told that is a sign of a healthy garden. However, when they are sitting up on my hummer feeder waiting to pounce on one of them, (AFTER I removed it once), she had to go. I really wouldn't have killed it had I not seen the pics of a PM eating hummer.
LOL that's one bad mantis, picking on something a gazillionth of his size.
pdoyle, are you serious...they'd eat a hummer?! Wow, that's freaky, but your pix are cool! I have mixed feelings about their value in the garden because they eat other good bugs as well.
plantmover, google praying mantis and humming bird
Heres a link.
*Warning:The pics are disturbing.
http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyardbirds/hummingbirds/mantis-hummer.aspx
Incredible!!! I would've never guessed they could do that...a little disgusting but totally amazing! Thanks for sharing.
HOLY cow! I can't believe that.
WOW - I am totally amazed!! I would have never dreamed that was possible. I always thought they were considered "good insects" even though they freak a lot of people out with their looks.....
Thanks for the info........ wish my entomology professor was still teaching - he would get a thrill out of that article......
Genna
