Lacewings?

GardenForums.com a friendly and growing community of gardeners. We feature a Garden Discussion Forum and Garden Photo Gallery. It's a fun and friendly place to talk with other gardeners, ask questions, share you knowledge, view and post photos and more! Whether you're a master gardener, or brand new to the hobby, you'll find something of interest here.



plantlover

New Member
My hummer feeders are hanging in open air but I have Hibiscus that they love. The Mantis I have seen are not very big but now you have me looking more closely!

Mantis are strange creatures. They are predators who trap their prey by ambushing them. If they are going to catch a hummer, they will do it by ambush. If yours aren't very large, they may not be mature adults. An egg sack can contain as many as 200 larvae.....But, the do eat the majority of the bad bugs that can destroy our gardens. So there's the good and there's the bad, and then there's the big dilemma......do I keep them around to eat the bugs and risk the lives of hummers??? That would be my dilemma, for sure!
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
I know a lot about them but have never seen ones the size you are talking about. I have actually raised them as beneficial insects. Mine are at best about 4" in lenghth at largest. Maybe their Texas cousins are bigger as they say eveything is bigger in TExas! LOL!
 

Jade

New Member
ha, I never thought that would turn into a thread talking about preying mantis, I guess that I should start another one about Lace Bugs. I think that preying mantis are very cool, although I would have never thought that they could be fast enough to capture a hummingbird. CG, what are you doing with your life right now?
 


Gardenforums.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Top