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Praying Mantis Egg Cases
2 egg cases
Treats 3,000 sq. ft.
Praying mantises, Tenodera aridifolia sinensis, are voracious predators of many pests including caterpillars etc., just about any pest they can attack. Adult and half-grown mantises especially like to kill and eat Japanese beetle adults. However, beetles are too large for newly hatched mantises. Therefore, we advise placing out mantis egg cases early, by March, so hatching can occur in April and let the hatchlings grow big by June when beetles occur.
Directions: After purchase store refrigerated, 38°F, until release. Do not freeze. For release hang the perforated, clear shipping bag amongst foliage or hang individual egg cases far apart in foliage. The release can be in up to a 3,000 square foot garden. Each egg case will hatch about 200 immature praying mantises. They are initially very small, about 2-3 mm long and very well camouflaged. If hatching occurs in the shipping container release immediately, since the hatchlings are cannibalistic.
Hatching of Mantises from egg cases - Baby mantises hatch in about 4-6 weeks at 70 F. After hatching, day or night, they quickly disperse. Until they get to be several inches long there is little evidence of them. Many are eaten by birds and never mature. To observe hatchlings one must either let them hatch in the bag or in a terrarium.. In either case many die. We quality control some cases by having them hatch in a terrarium. All cases tested hatched mantises. After hatching there is little or no evidence on the cases that mantises have hatched. Hatchlings emerge through 1-2 small holes that are hard to see. The fluff (“cotton”) at the exit hole is the only sign and it may blow away.
Praying mantises are sensitive to insecticides. Do not use insecticides while Praying mantids are working. Delay Praying mantises release 14 days after last use of poisons. Praying mantises are, however, compatible with SCANMASK beneficial nematodes applied to soil. |
