How To Find PRAYING MANTIS For Your GARDEN! Proactive Pest Control

[@dragonwithamonocle]

So watching this as someone who's spent the last few days pretty heavily researching mantises, I can point out a few things on this video that might be helpful to future passers-through. 1. Praying mantises don't build nests. Those are called "Ootheca," and they start out as a froth produced by a female after she's mated. The froth acts like a can of foam insulation, starting wet and malleable and drying hard and tough. 2. The oothecae seen in this video are those made by the Chinese Mantis (Tenodera Sinensis), which was introduced accidentally to the eastern USA in the early 1900s. While technically considered invasive, they have since integrated into the ecosystem and have become a part of the food chain. Being small enough to be eaten by a medium sized bird helps with that. Also, chinese mantises produce several of these, so if you find three or even four or five relatively close together, they were all probably laid by one female. Just goes to show how many of them make it through the roughly 150 day growing period to make it the last couple months of their life to mate. 3. While mantis young (which start TINY, by the way) will eat aphids, as the season moves on into late spring and early summer, they grow too large to care about such small insects and may camp on flowers to eat butterflies as they get larger (particularly the chinese mantises, which are about the largest species in the US right now). So if you plan to introduce mantises to your garden, best to find out what species you're introducing and what kind of insects you feel comfortable with them eating. 4. You may be wondering, if you got this far, "How do I tell what species are native if all I have is the ootheca?" Well, as it turns out, the shape of each ootheca is unique to the species that lays it. Round half-spheres like this are unique to chinese mantises. Carolina mantises lay an ooth that is much longer and flatter, and prefer to make theirs on trees and rocks and buildings, which can make them a little harder to transport. 5. Just a fun fact, no mantis on earth lives longer than 18 months naturally. So each spring you will get all-new mantises, and you will never see the same one multiple years in a row. Most of the ones in the US are small and will only live from spring to late fall, with the ooths overwintering in cold climates, keeping the dormant young safe by being positioned in a sunny place and by being well-insulated because of the organic insulation it's made out of. Tying back into point number three, the mantis young will emerge from the ooth at the time when your new growth will be most susceptible to aphids, so you'll have a boost to aphid control for about four weeks while they are still tiny bebehs. After that though, the larger juveniles will be big enough to eat larger insects, like moths, small butterflies, ladybugs, and small beetles. If it's just aphids you want gone, better to use ladybugs, who will consume 90% aphids over the entire course of their lives.

[@roblena7977]

Hey man just wanted to say thankyou thats alot of helpful info for me. My midlife crisis is a completely life altering event and i have no idea how to be a farmer. I swear if youtube didnt exist i would still be in the city

[@dragonwithamonocle]

@@roblena7977 Sure! If you're in the US, websites (ha. ha.) like USMantis are available to send ooths in the mail. If you're looking to move some around in the wild, I would say don't try to pick an area clean. Make sure a) you have permission to collect there, b) don't take them over state lines, that can be kinda iffy, and c) don't collect more than 1/3rd of what's there if you can. Don't break individual ooths, but like, if there's three don't take more than one, right? Also they're usually most commonly found around water, especially running streams. There's so much insect life there, mantids have a field day. Good luck!

[@impulse_xs]

Great comment explaining the finer points of the based mantis! All accurate info!

[@davidgoss3459]

Dude I am addicted to all your videos. I have raised a ton of baby mantis. They are killers of bugs. Like having a yard ninja. Ha Thanks for educating everyone on this.

[@davidgoss3459]

Ship me some eggs. :)

[@jamesprigioni]

Awesome! I’m glad you are enjoying them. Nice, yeah mantis are beats! Hahha yard ninja. Your welcome my friend. Where do you live?

[@Mr.Pennington]

""Yard ninja"" definitely gonna use that one!

[@sqwrrl]

So that’s what those are! I found a couple of them just today on my raspberry rows. Thank you.

[@jamesprigioni]

Yup!! Ohhh lucky you! They will be working hard for you this coming year 😁

[@ralphfink8515]

I purchased a dozen nests in January. Hung the nests around the yard. This summer, I continue to see the mantises hard at work in the yard. Thank you for the tip!

[@jamesprigioni]

That’s great to hear Ralph, it’s nice you have a new crew working hard for you out there 😁

[@pamelaswan2774]

I've had to purchase my Mantid's because they aren't native in Northern Minnesota they are beneficial and are an amazing creature study and involving your kids in garden Science. Love them so much !!

[@muru1971]

Very cool. I learnt from Indian natural farming sources that the presence of mantis in a natural/organic garden is a clear indication that there was no pesticides spraying done in around 3 km radius. These guys are that sensitive to pesticides is what I understand. I never thought of finding them somewhere and bring them to the garden, and have never paid attention to their nest for sure. Great tip..thank you!

[@janeirvine8391]

About the praying mantises (or would that be mantii?), how many mantises are in one of those nests? Do they tend to stay/nest in your garden area or do they move on and must be replaced? We just moved to a place that has mantises and are excited about living near them. Just started my first garden today (winter), and must use containers to start. We'll be enriching our soil all winter long in anticipation for our foray into our own food forest. That gives us all winter to find out which plants, trees, vegetables and seeds work best here in northern AZ. I didn't have the courage to start but two things convinced me. The first was knowing we live on a fixed income in a food desert - no grocery stores within 15 miles. We need to start getting/growing food ASAP, and the other thing was the highly informative videos you're making. For those on a fixed income with travel issues, gardening isn't just pleasurable, it is a necessity. I believe everyone everywhere no matter what their circumstances would benefit from the food forest concept. It has become a better version of the Victory Gardens of the 1940's. With your info, I feel excited about the challenges ahead and look forward to sharing the results with you. Thank you for posting! Blessings on you and yours!

[@HomesteadDIY]

Just went out today and gathered up 4 egg sacs. Apparently each one can hold dozens to hundreds (!) of mantid...babies(?). But I also learned that because they're carnivores they naturally limit the numbers in any particular area, so we might not be adding as many as we think. Also, because they are rather solitary, their effectiveness in controlling pests is limited since they can't eat so many. In comparison, lady bugs or lacewings are more effective at controlling aphids and such. Still, I think it's well worth the effort to do so. I'm posting a video tomorrow showing me following your suggestion. Another great video, James! Thanks!

[@krism7380]

Took the dog for a walk at a local park, and went home with several egg cases. They were so easy to find after watching your video. Thanks!

[@joykaluf2629]

A few weeks ago I went out and spent 2 and 1/2 hours looking for these and came up with nothing! Maybe I just don't have the eye for it yet, or maybe I didn't have the right spots picked out. I have one more spot in mind where I can look, and you've motivated me to go out and look tomorrow! Thanks James!

[@DebbieC624]

Hey James, I’ve been following your videos for a couple years now and finally went into the vault to watch some older videos. I really liked this one. I will definitely have to keep my eyes open to see if I can find some. I really needed something like that this year. OMG the bugs were awful 😢. Thanks for the info. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ For Tuck. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@gigidi6816]

Great info. I'll keep my eyes open when pruning the bushes. Beneficial insects are always welcomed in my garden.

[@jamesprigioni]

Glad you liked it. Nice, yeah I think you will see a few

[@suffolkshepherd]

Great video idea, great video I would have never known where they came from or what their nest looks like. I have seen a few Praying Mantis around, so will take a look for a nest. Thanks for doing these videos

[@jamesprigioni]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! Nice! Your garden will thank you 😂

[@winterbloom1000]

Thank you James for taking us with you on your Praying Mantis search. It was very educational. I love your videos.

[@jamesprigioni]

Your welcome Sharona, thanks for coming along 😁

[@jerradcampbell74]

Pest control done right! You sir, are a legend. :)

[@suffolkshepherd]

I agree. I think we are watching the future master of Back to Eden right here on this channel.

[@thifasmom]

I do something similar with ladybirds, I collect them and their larvae up and transfer them to any aphid infested plants, it soon balanced things out, haven't had to do it for a long time now. Even my kids would collect and bring them home to the garden. I'm glad you mentioned leaving some behind, it's good to remember that ☺👍

[@mikeb1189]

I didn't have any luck on attempt number one but ima find another spot and try again. Also gonna plant the flowers that they nest on in your garden, thanks man!

[@Jeannette311]

this is so cool! I never even thought of this! thank you!

[@jamesprigioni]

I’m glad you liked it Jeannette 😁 Your welcome

[@tedkokenos9909]

Love your videos ... from a frustrated Ohio gardener doing all the wrong things

[@nancyclayton6535]

I harvested one a few years ago from a local park. Have four in the garden now... love having them in the yard as long as they stay away from my apiary!

[@jamesprigioni]

Perfect! Sounds like you did it right 👌 Haha 😆

[@melodyfuller2377]

Awesome! I can’t wait to do this in the winter!

[@virtualfather]

You are doing great works for Gia, stay strong.

[@thebendu9228]

Possibly the most interesting video I have seen on youtube.

[@dilidili7544]

Wow, this is cool. I've learned something new. I didn't think about visiting our park in winter, but that's the place I can think of looking for them here. Thank you.

[@jamesprigioni]

Awesome! I'm glad you found value in the video. Nice, I hope you find some. Let me know if you do 😁

[@ralphfink8515]

James, your recommendation is excellent. I live in a forested area in Connecticut. During the mid-summers, vast numbers of caterpillars parachute from the extensive forest canopy onto the vegetable. I have two 10'x7' hoophouses to shelter the plants. During the height of the caterpillar infestation, I lose about 60% of the foliage on the kale, broccoli, and other greens. My goal is to establish a colony of preying mantis. We looked for the preying mantis nests along the roads and came home empty handed. I need the help of the mantis. I found a Pennsylvania farmer on eBay selling mantis nests. They arrived today and I hung them at the edge of the gardens. Hopefully, some of them survive until mid-summer. Again, thanks for the idea!!!

[@brothersweetleaf773]

Awesome and informative video... THANK YOU, Gardening Channel/ James Prigioni! I came here for the great info (thanks to the great title), and at the beginning of this video I noted the similarity in trees to my own local area... Then, while riding along in your car, I noted the familiar style of the residential-area houses. And then the actual location you walked to-- raw, untamed local land near a highway-- was EXACTLY like the local area I always used to visit (to connect with Nature & "God") since childhood here in coastal New England; with that old, Colonist plantation sorta vibe. So I'm glad to have found such good quality vids from my local (-enough) area... Subscribed! I've seen those pods but never knew what was in them; now I can't wait to snatch my own Mantis collection this Autumn, to keep for my garden next Springtime!

[@sofiaedmundson9128]

I enjoyed riding along on this educational field trip. Thanks so much!

[@jamesprigioni]

Awesome Sofia! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun making it 😁

[@simpleman8961]

Thanks. I never would of known. Going to start looking for them.

[@jamesprigioni]

Your welcome! Nice, they are one of the best insectivores

[@LolitasGarden]

I love some mantis, their vibe is really chill. Unless you're a male mantis. But those are "egg sacs." It was like you were, "Check out my cucumber nest. So many cucumbers growing in my cucumber nest."

[@Mr.Pennington]

Wow, didnt know mantis' mades nests. Ive caught a few and put them in the garden, I wondered how they survived winter. Ive noticed since the mantis' were in the garden i havent had ANY bug problems. Even noticed soldier bugs and stink bugs dont swarm on my tomatos like they used to, i dont mind a couple but 50 on one tomato cant be healthy. Another great vid, as expected my friend.

[@mikefisher6783]

James, this was a great one. Love to see a new topic covered! Just keep those Pine Barren Mantis' separate from the Shore Mantis'. You know they're gonna fight for their turf...

[@jamesprigioni]

Thanks Mike! Haha, yeah they will. Don’t want the eating each other

[@cmiller1952]

...a couple of years ago I brought a couple of nests inside that I was going to keep until spring... I thought they might be preying mantis nests...wrong!...the turned out to be grasshoppers...they hatched inside the house and they were all over the place...lol...that was a learning experience!

[@MANTISHUNT]

Awesome video! But just to note, the ootheca in the hazelnut tree looks like it's already hatched. Not only are there holes in it, but the "louvers" are in an open position, evidencing the nymphs already exiting the egg sac. Current season ootheca have a smoother texture, and "once you have an eye for it", you'll get a sense of vitality coming off of them. You can be sure that the ootheca is from the current season when it's on annual plants like grasses and weeds, as these plants don't have their new growth stem off of already established plant material. In my hunting, I've been fooled many a time by the previous season's cases.

[@pattihayden8100]

That’s very interesting. Wish I could find them like that in Las Vegas. Maybe I’ll take a walk down by the washes.

[@jamesprigioni]

Nice! You should try you never know what you may find 😁

[@dustman96]

Awesome vid. Love Praying Mantis. A very interesting insect.

[@Beansie]

How awesome you've chosen to include actually showcasing beneficial insects and actual harvesting! Wonderful! I just love when you take trips off site, it's always fun to see someone else's environment and circumstances on a broader range to what they deal with as in comparison to what oneself is working. It's all good intel! I'm hoping I don't offend by saying this next bit as I do quite enjoy your tempo, tenor, presentation and everything else that is hiking your subs and views (deservedly), however I feel compelled (having been involved in several cases) to ask a favor as a subscriber, fan and sharer of your videos. I understand you know your own neighborhood like the back of your hand, and you can probably even predict it's pulse of come and go's, but you are seen by a great number of people . The subscribers are just a fraction of who is seeing you, we're all passing you around, gladly, and are happy to help put you out there. But.....will you please get a dash mount for your camera? I understand spontaneity, on the fly, guerilla reality style filming and the genuine connection one can get to the moment. But I also know it only takes a second. If you fiddle with your phone while you're driving in your everyday to day, ok fine, that's your choice to do that and that of your community, but when thousands and thousands and thousands of people are looking to you for inspiration, professionalism, respect, and how to do it right, it's really easy to influence attitudes and behaviors. Please get a dash mount. Even if it's for a 10 second clip. I really dig you James. Please don't perceive this as any sort of attack on your honor or integrity. I subscribe to very few channels that have people talking, so that hopefully says something about how respectful I am trying to be right now. I just cannot convey the heartache shared by both family and that of the person responsible when a life is lost because of a quick fiddle with the phone, or a quick selfie, or a quick video clip that'll look great. It happens. And it only takes a second. Thanks for reading this, and thanks for all the great videos. May the winds be always at your back, friend.

[@ThatStevenLouis]

Pure gold as always. Keep it up brother

[@johnmartinelli4006]

I looked everywhere as to where to buy them. Expensive as hell! Thank you for this video!!! Now it will be an adventure that I will love doing this fall. Thanks!!!!!

[@boiler3285]

That is really good info, I didn't know what to look for before. Thanks for the info!

[@jamesprigioni]

Awesome! Glad you liked it and gained some value form it Greg

[@mcgritty8842]

I’m gonna check the woods near me this winter. Based on your location, I think I know exactly where to find some in NY ❤

[@kevw9465]

James, nice job. Never knew what they were before. Thanks for the heads up. I found three on one bush in my side yard and relocated them to my blueberry plants. God bless brother

[@kemobam]

JAAAAAAAAMES!! AB-SO-LUTE-LY A MOST KICKASS VIDEO PRESENTATION!! Probably one of my most favorite so far (And I've binged quite a few, my friend!!) I'm going put mantis egg hunting tomorrow!! Thanks as always!! Keith

[@kmr1135]

You are an amazing gardener. This is a gem. Thanks for making and sharing this great vid :)

[@jamesprigioni]

Wow so kind of you to say. Thanks KM. Your welcome 😁

[@LB-vl3qn]

James, thanks to you, I recognized a praying mantis egg case on our Christmas tree when I was taking off the ornaments. I mulched the tree, naturally, but kept the little branch with the egg case still attached. It's sitting near some bushes in my front flower bed (since my backyard is a sea of wood chips), and am hoping to get some baby mantes. It's starting to warm up, so if the babies are still viable, it won't be long. Now, I'm always on the lookout for egg cases wherever there's anything green. Thank you! ~ Lisa

[@jamesprigioni]

That’s awesome Lisa! Bravo for having the eye to be a able to notice that. You will be a great gardener as well if you aren’t already. Because being able to observe the little things, and take notice of changes is what empowers you to step in and tweak something just a little to increase production and reduce work. I hope the little mantids come out and protect your garden. Let me know if they do. I would love to hear about it 😁 Your welcome. Thanks for the support 👊

[@candeekring6908]

So thankful for your channel! Thank you! Thinking of u and others in that dread full storm...take care!

[@fshuman100]

Love your work, thank you.

[@jamesprigioni]

Your welcome. Thanks for the encouragement 😁

[@silviaandrade8820]

This is awesome! Your are my. motivator and inspiration with my garden into 2018!

[@jamesprigioni]

So cool to hear!! I hope you have your best growing season ever in 2018

[@JohnLemmon4]

Very interesting. I have never noticed those nests. Thanks for this video!

[@jamesprigioni]

Your welcome. Yeah they are pretty cool, and a lot of fun to see growing up in the garden

[@garden4life622]

This is so cool! Thank you for sharing...I know you can buy them online, but to go find these nests in your own area is fantastic! I'm going to try to scope out some sights to find Preying Mantis nests next week! Thank you!

[@pacificpermaculture]

Nice,local beneficial insects ! ! ! Thanks,I just learned what their nest looks like ! ! !

[@jaquiobear]

So cool! I love praying mantis! I saw one in my garden this year. I have to look and see if I find a nest.

[@gardenstate732]

Wow little did I know I'm close to you I need to get looking before it warms up.

[@pattihayden8100]

That’s very interesting. Wish I could find them like that in Las Vegas.

[@sansomspressurecleaningpoo9519]

That is so cool I live in West Palm Beach Florida I’m going to go out and see if I can find some. Thanks for sharing

[@claysoggyfries]

Sansom’s Pressure Cleaning & Pool Service I live in Jacksonville Florida and saw one or 2 in my lifetime (19 years)

[@69juamex]

Another excellent video, thank you

[@jamesprigioni]

Thank you my friend. Glad you liked it 😁

[@henryford1160]

Genius with the produce knowledge

[@flaquis2729]

Very cool! I will be on the lookout from now on.

[@CleoCastonguay47]

Thanks for sharing... Educational, informative and helpful. I'll have to check around my area to find some praying mantis nests that I could place in my garden now that I know what to look for.

[@J.Allen_]

Excellent. Thank you.

[@bobs5596]

i have praying mantises in my hedges. they like dense foliage. arborvitae and bamboo are fav habitat. in october i bring in my houseplants and if i see a mantis i'll bring her in too. they live for 2 years if they don't freeze, and lay eggs multiple times in a windowsill garden. also you can feed them raw hamburger and crickets in cold months. as long as you have shelves of plants you mist they will hang there.

[@mertlemon1155]

Great video, thanks James

[@jamesprigioni]

Your welcome Myrtle, thanks for watching 😁😁

[@plantingseedsforlife2138]

That was a neat trip thanks for bringing us along. Plus you got some beneficials cool.

[@mikes7446]

I like Prey Mantises, always find them in my Citrus Tree.

[@insAneTunA]

Great video. The flying equivalent is the dragonfly, another ferocious yard ninja with lightning speed and great accuracy. An average human can see at a rate of 60 FPS but a dragonfly can see at a rate of 200 FPS, and it can detect and predict the trajectory and catch its prey in midair faster then a human can even react at all. And even as a larvae in the water it will eat anything that it can catch, such as mosquito larvae and/or other harmful pest insects.

[@CrystalClearSQL]

That's so awesome!!!

[@mikej5571]

great info, thanks!

[@dynrgal]

I learn something new everyday. I have praying mantis around my property...I am going to stop clearing the dead stuff so they have a place to nest. Thank you

[@50shadesofgreen]

we don't have Praying Mantis wild like that in the uk your so lucky !!

[@Betty-qd8st]

I found 3 of those in my garden this year. Looks like they like Golden rod.

[@roblena7977]

Haha i just watched a video on pest control from him, thought brilliant i need to find these guys and then tried to find a video on finding them. Well this video should be promising

[@ConscientiousOmnivore]

Wow! Such great information James, thanks for sharing this. I know my brother has praying mantis in his garden but I've never seen one in our yard yet. There is a little pond a short walk from our house though and there are some reeds and overgrown areas around it. I'll check it out and see what I can find :-D

[@paulsur5871]

Useful video, thanks!

[@jamesprigioni]

Nice! Glad you found value in it 😁

[@davidcrowson4745]

That's pretty awesome 😊

[@Grow_with_Michael]

Yo, really enjoyed this one. I did not know about the mantis nests, great tip. 🤙

[@jamesprigioni]

Nice! Yeah they are awesome. A lot of history with the mantis too

[@katherineb6102]

Awesome find!

[@christinewiet363]

QUESTION! hi James! Love your videos. It's cold and snowy here in my Michigan Back to Eden (1 year old) Garden. I'm wondering what growing medium is in your red starter cups.

[@aleksaradovic6224]

Those tiny mantises omg litttt

[@nicktheislander5924]

Great video man subscribed and put the notifications on!

[@thedomestikatedegg7378]

Are you kidding me? This is so cool. I have honestly never seen (more accurately: never noticed) a praying mantis nest before. Thank you for sharing! Is this in PPB per chance? Don’t worry I’m in WNC won’t poach it hehe. Thank you again for all the knowledge you share with us!

[@jenniferprescott8655]

WoW James, cool!..I see PM rarely,..hmmm

[@NorthernThaiGardenGuy]

I live in Southeast Asia. I wonder if I can find them in the kind of state that you show here in an East Coast winter? Hmmmm...

[@sanctuarywoods7748]

So cool !

[@ebbrown8771]

This is amazing! I found some and harvested 2 thank you so much Can you help me find ladybugs!? Ebonee R.I.

[@ivordawson2154]

So can I plant hazelnut tree in Malaysia?

[@osands]

Whats up with the pruning cuts at 2:20ish. They should be at a 45 degree angle no?

[@Triplaglol]

What's your opinion on this? I have alot of ladybugs in my garden which eat aphids (plant lice). I guess the mantis would also eat my ladybugs ... This is from wikipedia: For pest control Gardeners who prefer to avoid pesticides may encourage mantises in the hope of controlling insect pests.[88] However, mantises do not have key attributes of biological pest control agents; they do not specialize in a single pest insect, and do not multiply rapidly in response to an increase in such a prey species, but are general predators.[88] They eat whatever they can catch, including both harmful and beneficial insects.[87] They therefore have "negligible value" in biological control.[88]

[@jamesprigioni]

Yeah mantises eat whatever insects are local to them. Whether or not they have “negligible value” in biological control seems like more of an opinion separated from their value within the whole system. I do what I can to create a natural balance of both insects and insectivores. Therefore no one insect can dominate. Lady bugs eat soft bodies insects, but I wouldn’t want an infestation of lady bugs in my garden. Same reason I only grabbed a few mantis nests instead of like 10. I want some mantises but not only them. There is no cheating in nature, you can speed the process up a little, but you can’t “cheat” by just adding a lot of lady bugs, or just adding a lot of fertilizer. Every cause has multiple effects, there are so many variables. That’s why I don’t ever put anything super concentrated or to much or anything in the garden. Besides wood chips or organic matter, because they are not concentrated and it’s what nature does in a forest.

[@jamesprigioni]

Yeah mantises eat whatever insects are local to them. Whether or not they have “negligible value” in biological control seems like more of an opinion separated from their value within the whole system. I do what I can to create a natural balance of both insects and insectivores. Therefore no one insect can dominate. Lady bugs eat soft bodies insects, but I wouldn’t want an infestation of lady bugs in my garden. Same reason I only grabbed a few mantis nests instead of like 10. I want some mantises but not only them. There is no cheating in nature, you can speed the process up a little, but you can’t “cheat” by just adding a lot of lady bugs, or just adding a lot of fertilizer. Every cause has multiple effects, there are so many variables. That’s why I don’t ever put anything super concentrated or to much of anything in the garden. Besides wood chips or organic matter, because they are not concentrated and it’s what nature does in a forest.

[@jamesprigioni]

Great question 😁

[@sweetheartsmom]

I never thought about this! Good idea! Do you harvest anything else to sdd to your food forest?

[@tabathaparsons3333]

Can I ask does it matter what kind you get like some ppl say get the Coraline praying mantis

[@wolco003]

Very cool!

[@jamesprigioni]

Nice! Glad you liked it

[@jamesprigioni]

Nice! Glad you liked it

[@dennisst.germaine3497]

Thank you James, this is such a good idea for winter garden prep! I also never thought of gathering the nest pods locally! Our snow cover gets higher and stays longer, I'm thinking those nest/pods would be food fare for mice and birds, do you think putting them in a fridge or cooler outside would be necessary?

[@simpletudy]

Thanks

[@jamesprigioni]

Your welcome. Thanks for watching 😁😁

[@mikemike-rm1se]

Hi I found a praying mantis in my garden twice last summer. I don't have many pests but a healthy amount of insects I feel. A lot of bees and wasps and bubble bees. Was wondering if seeing a praying mantis is a good thing or a bad thing?

[@MoFilmsHD]

Hi, for adding the wood chips is it too late to add wood chips in the spring because my issue is that I do not know if I get a company to drop off wood chips they will not have enough space to drop it off in the right location any tips?

[@johnnyspropshop]

Checking for the same answer, chipdrop didn't get to me before the snow started. I'll plan to wood chip in the spring.

[@Mr.Pennington]

I got some good chips by getting ahold of the power company, they trim trees this time of year, and they were happy to drop some off, though they thought i was crazy for not being scared of walnut. If that doesnt work, id say there is a place where they dump them somewhere near by.

[@MoFilmsHD]

MR. pennington thanks man, wait but you got walnut wood chips? Doesn’t it contain jugolone and not be optimal for growing correctly please correct me if I am wrong

[@Mr.Pennington]

HuntMaster you are right, some plants hate juglone, but some grow even better in it. And it all breaks down eventually. Tomatoes seem to hate it but squash and corn ( particularly native american varities like bloody butcher)prefer it! When i first broke ground on the garden back when i used to till i broke a root from a walnut tree, it dripped for months, and the corn growing by the root grew 4 feet taller!(bloody butcher can get 15 feet tall) So what i did this year is, put walnut chips on the edges of the garden, this should help keep crapgrass from keeping in, and i can just plant tomatoes in the other chips. If you notice in nature you rarely find better dirt than under a walnut tree, its rich, black, loamy, and full of iodine, which is depleted in most soils, iodine generally only comes from the ocean, but here in the mountains of appalachia, black walnut is the only place i know to get iodine.

[@Mr.Pennington]

HuntMaster also, chickweed, autumn olive, forsythia, maple, serviceberry, oak, dogwood, hawthorne, persimmon, sassafras,hazelnut, hydrangea, BLACK RASPBERRY, beans, carrots,onions, beets and most of the melon family, Daffodil, crocus, lambs ear, phlox, trillium and zinnia seem to tolerate or thrive in juglone. Which sums up most of the things i grow, anything else i like to grow in containers on the porch rail so they are super convenient and easy to water.

[@annettelubczenko]

I heard the Chinese praying mantis are to large and eat the good pollinators. That the Carolina or USA smaller type better . What are ur thoughts on that info

[@carolparrish194]

How can you be sure you are taking a praying mantis and not a bad bug? Are there other nests that can be mistaken for praying mantis? I really need these in my garden. I have a bad problem with aphids. I wonder if they would eat squash bugs. I am going hunting for these as soon as I can. Thanks.

[@blindjohn2969]

awesome i want to find a couple of these now for my food forest for shizzle. Thank you. I may sound like a a-hole, but at the end of each sentence, in all your videos, theres last word or two is inflected to a higher unnatural pitch. Very pro videos otherwise and watch em all. I know u put a lot of time into your channel so throwing out a tip.

[@colleenrodamer6230]

I would bring them in put them in a mesh box keep them to spring

[@christianhansen3292]

Are they not good insects they eat the bad guys!? i would love my very own praying mantises! dunno if u can ship those interstate... i have seen ladybugs before in my yard usually fly unto my arm but a rare sight.

[@christianhansen3292]

if u would sell me a nest what would u charge me?

[@christianhansen3292]

think the lizards that live in yard would make a snack of them tho!

[@jamesprigioni]

Yeah they eat the “bad insects” They probably live in your location, are you in the US? I don’t ship or send them out, but if I ever do I’ll remember you. Keep your eye out next time your in a brushy area, you may just spot one

[@christianhansen3292]

those females are mean mates! perhaps i might i know of woods not brush tho. thanks

[@adrienmanriquez4037]

Crazy I can never find wild mantis ootheca idk how u can just find em like that wild

[@boi9246]

I NEED THEM