# Mantis feasting on bees



## yen_saw (Jun 3, 2010)

Some of my mantis enjoying bees collected after removing bee hive from the house.


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## ismart (Jun 3, 2010)

Great pics yen!


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## jessicones (Jun 3, 2010)

They're all gorgeous! The first one is my favorite but the ones with the leafy appendages are mind blowing! That's some of the best camouflage I've ever seen, haha!


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## Rick (Jun 3, 2010)

Nice pics. Honeybees though? &lt;_&lt;


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## hibiscusmile (Jun 3, 2010)

Yeppers, some people call all flying insects in the bee/wasp family "bees", but true honeybees as seen here are the color of honey, thats how u can tell them from the others.


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## kitkat39 (Jun 3, 2010)

love the pix! thanks for sharing! =)


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## PhilinYuma (Jun 3, 2010)

hibiscusmile said:


> Yeppers, some people call all flying insects in the bee/wasp family "bees", but true honeybees as seen here are the color of honey, thats how u can tell them from the others.


This is true, and if you hold them very carefully and lick their noses, they taste like honey, too!


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## JoeCapricorn (Jun 3, 2010)

So bee boogers taste like honey?


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## lancaster1313 (Jun 3, 2010)

Great pics! What species of mantid is in the fifth photo?


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## hierodula (Jun 3, 2010)

very nice pictures the orchid looks amazing!


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## swords (Jun 4, 2010)

I always get furry fat bumble bees, yellow jackets and wasps in my house during open window/door weather. Is it safe to feed them to the mantids with no fear of the mantid getting stung or is it only honey bees that are OK?


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## Rick (Jun 4, 2010)

swords said:


> I always get furry fat bumble bees, yellow jackets and wasps in my house during open window/door weather. Is it safe to feed them to the mantids with no fear of the mantid getting stung or is it only honey bees that are OK?


It is ok. Mantids know how to handle them. I personally don't recommend feeding honey bees because the hb population is already in trouble and they key pollinators.


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## hibiscusmile (Jun 4, 2010)

I never bother them either, is that (word escapes me this morning, but where u prefer someone over someone else?) haha, bee buggers! likeing that, and Phil u like em for me!


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## yen_saw (Jun 4, 2010)

Thanks all!  



likebugs said:


> Great pics! What species of mantid is in the fifth photo?


It is the adult female of South American dead leaf mantis (_Decimiana bolivari_)



swords said:


> I always get furry fat bumble bees, yellow jackets and wasps in my house during open window/door weather. Is it safe to feed them to the mantids with no fear of the mantid getting stung or is it only honey bees that are OK?


I never have problem using honey bee but wasp or hornet could post higher risk to mantis. My orchid mantis completely ignore paper wasp even hungry.



Rick said:


> It is ok. Mantids know how to handle them. I personally don't recommend feeding honey bees because the hb population is already in trouble and they key pollinators.





hibiscusmile said:


> I never bother them either, is that (word escapes me this morning, but where u prefer someone over someone else?) haha, bee buggers! likeing that, and Phil u like em for me!


Rick and Rebecca, honey bees population has never been in danger in Southern part of Texas. I will let the following links explain the reason why i use bees.

http://www.usamantis.com/5-25-10Bee_Removal1.html

http://www.usamantis.com/5-26-10Bee_Removal2.html

http://www.usamantis.com/5-27-10Bee_Removal3.html

http://www.usamantis.com/5-29-10Bee_Removal4.html


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## InsectCollector (Aug 15, 2010)

Love your pictures, especially the 5th one. What species is it?


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## Precarious (Aug 15, 2010)

Great pics! And nice blog on the bee removal experience.


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## angelofdeathzz (Aug 16, 2010)

Rick is just looking at the big picture and he's right,there's a problem with honey bee's as of late,if you like flower's and such you may want to lay off the pollinating honey bee feeding's.


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