praying mantis

[bhfury]

Two of my hives in my backyard had praying mantises on them. Needless to say they were sent off to a new home - the rose bushing in front of the house.

[DRUR]

I had a large garden spyder that built a web from the side of one of my colonies down to the ground. This web always had a bunch of captured bees in it so finally one day I knocked it down and its web. Next time I worked the bees she was back, so I carried her off about 20 yards. Few days later she had gone to far. she had built her web right in front of the colony and her web was loaded with bees. Funny, I haven't seen her since.:D

[Hambone]

Yeah they love bee hives. I caught a big ole mantis last year hanging out on the front of my hives. Put him in a jar and brought him home and put him in my garden.

[Tom G. Laury]

They are really good at changing color according to the background. A now banished poster once put up a pic of a pm that had caught and apparently killed a hummingbird.
Also if you find an unopened egg case it can be brought inside to a window sill where they will hatch out and you can easily watch them grow up to catch flies or get moved to a garden.

[DRUR]

Also if you find an unopened egg case it can be brought inside to a window sill where they will hatch out and you can easily watch them grow up to catch flies or get moved to a garden.

When I was just a boy, before air conditionion (only attic fan) we would always have a praying mantis in each window to take care of the flys. Gardens are good places for them. I hated disposing of the spider but she just got a little to industrious.

[Tom G. Laury]

Danny I learned it from my Mom, that's the kind of thing people did for entertainment during the depression. And it is still fun. I bet Derek is gonna try it with his daughter soon as he hears about it!:)

[LSBees]

Will the mantis attack and eat bees? We have alot of Mantis's in our yard but I have never found them near the bees. I will need to keep an eye out.

[DRUR]

Danny I learned it from my Mom, that's the kind of thing people did for entertainment during the depression. And it is still fun.

I remember when I was a child they came out with all the giant bug movies, probably where they got the idea, I always enjoyed seeing the giant bugs eat people :lpf:, even remember one movie where they had giant honey bees, Treasure Island methinks by Walt Disney, where they were stranded on an Island where Capt. Nemo of the nautilus was doing experiments, giant crabs, etc. Anyone remember this movie?

[Hambone]

I bet Derek is gonna try it with his daughter soon as he hears about it!:)

Oh if she sees them they will be added to the collection. Right now she has, a tortoise, 3 Mediterranean geckos, approx 50 snails, 20 slugs, 2 crickets, I can’t count the # of doodle bugs, 2 grass snakes (she just let them go) And that’s just from this last weekend. She will let everything but the Tortoise go Thursday or Friday and we will start all over again this weekend. The wife loves it! :rolleyes:

[NasalSponge]

Will the mantis attack and eat bees?

Yep they will.

[peacekeeperapiaries]

I caught one one the front of a hive this weekend too. Moved him out.

[KQ6AR]

We have a mantis that hangs around our hives. I just let her stay, don't think she could eat enough bees too make a difference.