This Praying Mantis hatched a month ago and is living in a small flowering herb at the base of a potted Cottenwood. The mantis is about one and a half inches in length.
In a month the mantis has at least tripled its size. And just this week its color has turned from tan to green.
Each spring we supply Praying Mantis pods which when placed in the garden and allowed to hatch, will produce a good number that will reduce down to a few for a backyard delight.
If you have praying mantids as garden dwellers, remember that mantids are extremely susceptible to even the mildest of chemicals. Garden chemicals and sprays are poisonous to mantids (as well as many small song birds, bees, butterflys, hummingbirds, etc.). The rule is: If you want to have mantids and other wild wonders in your garden, just say no to chemicals.