I have a Praying Mantis and nest in my back yard. Winter is setting in. Should I cut away the vine limb with the nest and bring it in the house so that the nest is kept at 60-70 degrees?
My neighbor recommends that you "leave the nest outside or you will have thousands of microscopic insects looking for food" in your house! She added that they will surely die if the nest is brought indoors. Rest assured they will hatch at the appropriate time outside when there are insects for them to devour. A few years ago, she brought a mantis nest in the house in December, not realizing what a Pandora's Box it would be!
Thanks so much for the information. I called a local store that sells the Mantis and they said to bring it in and place it in a container that has a screen for air. They said the cold would kill the babies and that because it has been warm this past month, the Mantis made the nest at the wrong time of year. I went out to look at the nest again and the mother (praying mantis) appeared to be guarding the egg casing and I have decided to leave it be. I will do as suggested and let nature take it's course. Thanks again. Linda
Linda, it sounds like you are an avid nature enthusiast, and a photographer. Have you considered setting up a blog here on blogger.com? I would be very happy to link to your blog, and that way visitors could see your photos of the mantis nest. This Praying Mantis blog posting is one of the most heavily visited pages on my blog. I'm sure your mantis photos would be of interest to many people. Please keep in touch!
Oooh, how do you know what kind of nest it is?
ReplyDeleteMy friend and neighbor is a Master Gardener and knows all kinds of neat things to point out on our walks outside!
ReplyDeleteCool! I'd love to pictures of baby manitses. (Mantisi?) All I ever get in my yard is spiders and bald-faced hornets nests.
ReplyDeleteHOW EXCITING! I've never seen these in Alaska but they're very interesting bugs. I've watched them in Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteI found two that look similar, I will keep and eye and see if I can get a picture; thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteLook forward to see your babies! :-)
ReplyDeleteI love watching Mantises in our garden. They can provide hours of enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteGo Steelers!
Oh...how interesting!!! I didn't know that a Praying Mantis built a nest...In fact I never even thought about it, but now I know.
ReplyDeleteYour photographs are very interesting.
I have a Praying Mantis and nest in my back yard. Winter is setting in. Should I cut away the vine limb with the nest and bring it in the house so that the nest is kept at 60-70 degrees?
ReplyDeleteMy neighbor recommends that you "leave the nest outside or you will have thousands of microscopic insects looking for food" in your house! She added that they will surely die if the nest is brought indoors. Rest assured they will hatch at the appropriate time outside when there are insects for them to devour. A few years ago, she brought a mantis nest in the house in December, not realizing what a Pandora's Box it would be!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the information. I called a local store that sells the Mantis and they said to bring it in and place it in a container that has a screen for air. They said the cold would kill the babies and that because it has been warm this past month, the Mantis made the nest at the wrong time of year. I went out to look at the nest again and the mother (praying mantis) appeared to be guarding the egg casing and I have decided to leave it be. I will do as suggested and let nature take it's course. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteLinda
I have beautiful pictures of the Mantis and the nest, but not sure how to post them to this site.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Linda, it sounds like you are an avid nature enthusiast, and a photographer. Have you considered setting up a blog here on blogger.com? I would be very happy to link to your blog, and that way visitors could see your photos of the mantis nest. This Praying Mantis blog posting is one of the most heavily visited pages on my blog. I'm sure your mantis photos would be of interest to many people. Please keep in touch!
ReplyDelete