Praying mantids - natural pest control for your garden

By Scout Nelson

Praying mantids are a gardener’s ally in the battle against pests, according to Raymond Cloyd, an entomologist at Kansas State University. These predators can significantly benefit home gardens by targeting common pests.

“They eat anything they can grab onto with their raptorial front legs,” Cloyd said, detailing that their diet includes flies, crickets, moths, butterflies, wasps, and caterpillars. Gardeners should look for praying mantid egg cases from November through April.

These egg cases resemble a hardened, Styrofoam-like material and can be found attached to various surfaces around the garden and home.

Just emerged mantids, referred to as nymphs, appear 3-10 weeks after the eggs are laid. "Nymphs that emerge in spring resemble miniature adults," Cloyd noted. He also cautioned that not all nymphs survive to adulthood due to threats from birds, toads, lizards, and predatory insects.

For those interested in increasing the praying mantid population in their gardens, Cloyd suggests preserving their egg cases by placing them in a glass jar with air holes and maintaining them indoors.

To manage the timing of the nymphs' emergence, the jar can be stored in the refrigerator and taken out 1-2 months before the desired release date. Once nymphs hatch, they should be released into the garden immediately, ensuring outdoor temperatures are above freezing.

If egg cases are not found naturally in the garden, Cloyd recommends purchasing them from garden centers, nurseries, or other mail-order sources. This approach helps gardeners control pests naturally, enhancing garden health without chemical pesticides.

Photo Credit -gettyimages-joshua-resnick