You’ve probably heard of and likely seen a praying mantis before. You may have even heard the legend that they’re good luck. We’re not so sure about that part (we want to believe!), but what we do know is that the praying mantis does bring a ton of beneficial things to the table, especially for farmers and gardeners. So what makes Praying Mantises so beneficial?
What is a Praying Mantis?
The Praying Mantis (or Mantis religiosa) is a medium sized insect, typically green or brown in color, well known for their unusual posture- prominent, bent and angled- that makes it look as though they are “praying”-- which is where they get their non-scientific name from. In North Carolina, the most common type of Praying Mantis is the aptly named Carolina Mantis. You’ve almost definitely seen some of these bugs lurking around your yard before.
Praying Mantises are absolute experts at camouflaging themselves; they are expert hunters, in part because of this ability to camouflage in almost any setting. Don’t believe us? Check this out:
You can see that the pictured Mantis takes on many of the color qualities of the object that it is perched on. These insects are majorly talented at camouflage.
How Praying Mantises Are Beneficial
Ok, so it’s obvious that we’re pretty into Praying Mantises. They’re just so...cool. But the point of this post is to talk about the benefits that they provide to people right? Exactly! So enough gushing, let’s talk about what makes these little fellas so great:
Praying Mantises are a hungry bunch, and they eat a giant range of different pests including:
Roaches
Flies
Mosquitoes
Moths
Aphids
Small Rodents
Birds
Snakes
...Which Makes Them Great Organic Pest Control
Because Praying Mantises will go after a ton of different types of pests, they can act as an effective form of organic pest control. They’ve been heralded as helpers to both farmers and gardeners because they de facto “protect” crops, both commercial and personal. Plus, their breeding cycle is closely aligned with peak growing season in North Carolina; it’s a match made in heaven!
Considering Mantis religiosa helps take care of some of the nastier pests that will infest homes and lawns (like mosquitoes, roaches and small rodents) they also have a ton of utility in acting as a sort of first line of defense against these types of pests.
Attracting Praying Mantises
So now that we know Praying Mantises are largely good pests (in fact calling them pests at all may be a stretch), you might be wondering how you can attract them to your property. There are a few ways:
Grow Mantis-attracting plants. Marigold, raspberry canes, dill, fennel and angelica are all types of plants/herbs that can attract Praying Mantises (and ladybugs, another beneficial insect, for that matter).
Grow shady, protective plants that are low to the ground. Beneficial insects need places to hide from predators and to grab some shade.
Try using artificial insect attractants to draw in beneficial insects.
If you do decide to use some of these methods in an attempt to attract a Carolina Mantis, do so cautiously; while these attractants can attract good insects, some of them can also attract the not-so-good ones. Which leads us to our last point…
While the Praying Mantis certainly has many benefits, they can’t act as a substitute for professional pest control. Having a Praying Mantis presence is a great benefit, but the reality is even an army of them aren’t going to be able to take care of a major infestation. For that, you’ll need a professional pest control company, and A-1 Pest Control is here to help. We offer prevention and elimination services for the following pests identified in this post:
Mosquito control
Rodent control
Bird control
Wildlife control (including snakes)
Wondering what other pests provide some positive benefits? Read our recent blog onhow spiders are actually good (sometimes)!
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Because Praying Mantises will go after a ton of different types of pests, they can act as an effective form of organic pest control. They've been heralded as helpers to both farmers and gardeners because they de facto “protect” crops, both commercial and personal.
The praying mantis is a beneficial insect that preys on insect pests in the garden, including the Spotted Lanternfly. Learn how to attract them to your yard, which ones to buy (as an egg case), when and where they appear, and what they eat.
THE feeding behaviour of the praying mantis typically consists of a period of visual search, a slow approach to the prey, capture by an extremely rapid grasping movement of the raptorial prothoracic legs and ingestion of the captured food1,2.
Gardeners can work to attract praying mantis by enticing them with plants in the rose or raspberry family. In addition, tall grasses and shrubbery offer shelter and security for their habitation.
A praying mantis faced with a bird displays a 'frightening reaction' called a deimatic reaction, habituation of this response is the learning process under study. Speed of learning and retention when the same number of training sessions are given, seem to depend only on the total number of trials per session.
The Praying Mantis's Spiritual Meaning in the Bible:
The most apparent biblical symbolism of the praying mantis is prayer due to their praying hands. Christians believe that seeing a praying mantis symbolizes their piety and favor with God. It is also understood to mean they should keep their eyes on God.
A praying mantis has a very big appetite, so it's fortunate that it is also an accomplished hunter. These magnificent insects help farmers and gardeners by eating moths, mosquitoes, roaches, flies and aphids, as well as small rodents in their fields and gardens.
Mantises have large, triangular heads with a beak-like snout and mandibles. They have two bulbous compound eyes, three small simple eyes, and a pair of antennae. The articulation of the neck is also remarkably flexible; some species of mantis can rotate their heads nearly 180°.
It really could be this simple. There's a chance you're feeding your mantis more food than they want. You can tell whether a mantis is full by the size of its abdomen. If the abdomen is flat, it's hungry.
The Orchid Mantis is basically resistant to everything except Salty damage. Only one weapon in the game comes with this hard-coded into it - the Salt Morning Star - anything else has to be upgraded and modified. With that in mind, the best weapon can be… anything!
Grow Mantis-attracting plants. Marigold, raspberry canes, dill, fennel and angelica are all types of plants/herbs that can attract Praying Mantises (and ladybugs, another beneficial insect, for that matter). Grow shady, protective plants that are low to the ground.
Their strong front legs and lightweight bodies allow them to make sudden, jerky movements and change directions quickly, making them effective hunters in their natural habitats.
By moving their compound eyes, their brain can gather enough information to detect even the most well camouflaged prey. So, when it seems like the black dot of a pseudopupil is looking right at you, it is. Praying mantises are efficient, voracious, and ambitious carnivores.
So, this begs the question: Are praying mantises intelligent? Their shape and posture are distinctive, and their large eyes, mobile head and alert, watchful behavior make them seem smart as they look like the creatures or aliens from the outer space movies. However, they are no smarter than other insects.
THE feeding behaviour of the praying mantis typically consists of a period of visual search, a slow approach to the prey, capture by an extremely rapid grasping movement of the raptorial prothoracic legs and ingestion of the captured food1,2.
On the pro side, mantids are fun and easy to own as they require little maintenance, and they take up very little space. But for cons, praying mantises only live up to a year, max, and most live only four to eight weeks past their final molt into adulthood.
In some cultures, a praying mantis can be a sign of good luck or fortune. Native Americans believe the insect came before the creation of man and Earth. Paintings, inscriptions, revered symbols and carvings have the insect depicted as a symbol. The bugs represent wealth, success, large families and the cycle of life.
Introduction: My name is Aracelis Kilback, I am a nice, gentle, agreeable, joyous, attractive, combative, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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