How to Care for Praying Mantis Eggs

Praying mantes are interesting looking insects. With front legs that look like they are always in praying hands, and long, back grasshopper-like legs, they make for an interesting garden guest. Praying mantes can be helpful in a garden as they are active predators and will eat other insects; however, they can't differentiate between good and harmful insects, so they need to be the only insect you introduce to the garden for beneficial reasons. To start your own praying mantis colony in your garden, you can purchase an egg case to hatch.

Things You'll Need

• Egg case
• Super glue
• Twist tie

Instructions

1. Find a location for your egg case. Hanging it from a tree branch is the best choice so that it will stay safe from ants. Your location should be warm and in half sun. A mantis case needs at least 10 to 20 days of warm weather if it is to hatch. It should also offer good vegetation for the hatchlings to run into once they come out of the case.

2. Attach your egg case to a branch. Your egg case will look like a white, foamy mass that has hardened to a stiff shell. When you look at the case, you should see a line that is softer and may have small openings. This line should be facing downward when you attach the case to a branch. Attach it using super glue or a twist tie.

3. Make sure to protect your case and your baby mantids from hungry birds and other larger insects. You can do this by offering an area with enough vegetation for your egg case to hide in. Tall grass and shrubs make a good barrier around the branch that you are putting your egg case on. Make sure not to place your egg cases where chemicals, such as insecticides, have been sprayed. To avoid having too many mantids that will kill each other, make sure that egg cases are spaced two egg cases per 4,000 square feet of garden.

References

• Praying Mantid Information
• Praying Mantis Care Sheet