Baby surprise

[citizen_jane]

We were so surprised to find a herd of baby mantis this morning. There was an egg sack on our poolside basketball hoop. It had been in the attic all winter. I'm not sure when or how it got there. My husband made this video. They are so cool. I raise monarch butterflies but I don't have any experience with these guys.

 

[patrickfraser]

Catch them!

 

[ismart]

How cute! Little Stagmomantis babies!

 

[hibiscusmile]

Aw! love at first site,they will die if left to theirselves in attic, if you can catch them with some thin stick by setting in front of or just above them. If to cold to put outside, put in good size mayo jar or something like that with something for them to climb on. Get some fruit flies if u can, the faster the better, and mist them with really warm water, even putting out some old fruit, will help bring on fruit flies, but stores around u may have them. let me know how it goes!

 

[Rick]

Welcome. Release them into nearby weeds or bushes.

 

[citizen_jane]

Thanks for all the replies and advice. We live in Houston Texas so it's already quite warm here and they hatched outside by the pool. I dragged the hoop closer to some flower beds and let them do as nature intended. I have a very large (almost an acre) and very shady backyard. I don't use any pesticides or other chemicals. I relocated some of them to plants that usually get aphids. I also gave some to my neighbor who has a green house. She was also going to give a few to her grand kids so they could learn about them. I've seen egg sacks like this in my yard before but I had no idea what they were! Hopefully that means that my little micro-environment is friendly place where mantis can live, grow and reproduce naturally.

 

[dgerndt]

Welcome to the mantis addiction! Your backyard sounds like a great place for your little babies to live. If you find ooths (egg cases), then you already have a population on mantids in your area.