Say Hello To My Li'l Friend
By Katlady2
@Katlady2 (9904)
United States
September 10, 2007 7:54pm CST
There is this one particular plant that I have been fighting for years trying to get rid of it. It's called Trumpet Vine, and it's actually really pretty. Well, this year, I finally gave up...the darned thing won the battle, and it's running rampant all over the yard and even under the house! And I have discovered that I actually like having it around, mainly because it is now attracting all sorts of hummingbirds to it. But that's not the reason behind my post. One day, I was standing next to the fence pulling all of the dried out blooms off, and all of a sudden there was movement right in front of my eyes. It turned out to be not one, but TWO tan colored praying mantis's staring at me from under the leaves. And those critters weren't all that small either. I'll admit, I've seen much bigger, but these guys were nothing to sneeze at. I took a few pictures to share with you. The one that I wanted to post turned out a little too blurry because I had one of them on a stick and he kept trying to get to my hand and I kept freaking out. LOL It's things like this that keep my kids thinking that I'm a cool mom. Hahahaha!
6 people like this
12 responses
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
12 Sep 07
They are adorable. Haven't ever seen a brown one though. In Arizona we had the green ones and of course when I first saw one I flipped out..I am doing better at holding little critters....Hello to your little pals. Be careful, Buddy might eat them....LOL
2 people like this
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
12 Sep 07
Hello Feona,
I live in New Mexico. Up until this year, the mantis' have always been green. However, this year some do appear to be brown, or mottled in color.
I don't know that much about them. But, we've been wondering if they might have any chameleon qualities. 'Cause the brown ones we've seen this year have either been on bark, or screening. Hmmm, I wonder???
2 people like this
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
12 Sep 07
Believe me, he tries to jump up and get them! But he hasn't succeeded yet. It's a good things that critters like that don't freak me out, because my son loves lizards and currently has an alligator lizard in his tank. I'm hoping soon to get him a bearded dragon or an iguana, and you have to handle them to change the food and stuff like that.
2 people like this
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
12 Sep 07
Hi lady, that could be a possiblity about them being able to change to match the environment..Thank you for letting me know this..
1 person likes this
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
11 Sep 07
Great shot Katlady2!
I'm also quite fond of those little critters. When I get home I'll see if I can rustle up a nice Mantis close up I took last year. I haven't snapped any photos of them this year, because of lack of time.
Yet, they are everywhere in my garden, and now inside the house. Each of the last four nights we've taken a mantis out of the house, and put them back outside. Of course, I think they're finding their way indoors because it's getting kind of chilly at night. So, we've decided to let them hang out indoors, and see how it goes.
I'm glad to read in this thread that they're considered good luck, which is not surprising. I'd bet on a mantis over a big, creepy spider any day!
1 person likes this
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
12 Sep 07
So would I hon! At the store I worked at, there was a really big one just inside the exit door, and my coworker was so freaked out by it that I had to get a 44 oz cup to carry him out. And he was longer than the cup! Fortunately he was really slow moving so he didn't get away before I could set him in the bushes. I think he was really old.
1 person likes this
@lilaclady (28206)
• Australia
11 Sep 07
I honestly haven't seen one of these for years, when I was little the parying Mantis and the Grass Hoppers were about the only insects I wasn't frightened of, I used let crawl over me, but I just don't see them around anymore, I wonder why...your photo was so good I gave it a rating...good pic of a disappearing little creature..in Australia anyway...
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
11 Sep 07
They are all over the place here, but I've usually only seen the little baby ones. I love them. Thanks for the complement hon. Here's the picture I mentioned in the post. I had to take it really fast because the little stinker kept trying to crawl onto my hand!
1 person likes this
@nancyrowina (3850)
•
24 Oct 07
We don't have these in England they are strange looking little creatures aren't they? In my old cottage I have a problem with Ivy in the garden its a nightmare when a plant takes over. Sometimes your only choice is to just let it take over, with the Ivy I just cut it back every year no point trying to get rid of it it would be impossible.
1 person likes this
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
26 Oct 07
That's how the trumpet vine is around our house. There's even one UNDER two different parts of the house that works its' way out. I gave up on all of it finally. It's actually really pretty, but it attracts the ants better than syrup on the ground. LOL
@alamode (3071)
• United States
11 Sep 07
If things this amazing show up, I'd be tempted to let the Trumpet Vine have the whole yard! The only things I have that don't eat my produce are Assassin Bugs and Daddy-Long-Legs'... I have lots of insects but even the moths have it in for me! And the WEEVILS are my arch enemies!
Not to mention the other bad guys, the snails and the 'Washington State bird'... the slug!! Thats sort of an inside joke... and we all find it hilarious!!! Tells you something about us!!
1 person likes this
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
11 Sep 07
I think your "state bird" has taken up residence all around my front porch. They happen to like cat food too, and the cats get so indignant over the slime they leave behind. LOL Actually, that trumpet vine is now all along one of the side fences of our yard, and there is one that is finally growing back under the house. Our house has the old wooden style foundation through half of it, and it sets about 2 feet off the ground....plenty of room for the vine to spread like crazy. The only thing I don't like that it attracts is the ants. But hubby works for a chemical fertilizer company and has access to the kind of stuff that you need a license to buy, and it kills the ants in no time flat.
1 person likes this
@alamode (3071)
• United States
11 Sep 07
We once had ants build such a community that 1/4 of my brick paving collapsed! I 'salted' everywhere with boric acid combined with sugar... we were rid of them in no time! But this was before we had all these dogs... don't know if its dangerous to pets!I need to research that!
I take care of the 'birds' with the safe bait... iron phosphate. Its only fertilizer, but it does a great job on slugs and snails without being a threat to the pets!
1 person likes this
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
12 Sep 07
I'll ask my hubby about it. Maybe he can tell me if it's dangerous or not. I know you can use boric acid with water as an eye solution for both humans and animals, but I'm not sure if it's bad for them to ingest. I'll let you know what he says. He should be home in a little bit.
@GaiaFireLynx (208)
• United States
9 Oct 07
I think that praying mantis are absolutely fasinating. I hadn't seen any in years. A couple weeks ago I saw two young ones. One green & one tan.
1 person likes this
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
9 Oct 07
First time I've ever seen a praying mantis was in my daughter's bedroom closet b4 she was even born. I was cleaning out the spare bedroom and getting it ready to paint when I spotted it on the ceiling. I reached up and it crawled onto my finger. All the while I was talking to it, I was walking to the window to let it loose. Needless to say, it didn't want to leave me. lol I ended up having to walk outside and kinda brush it off onto one of my tomato plants outside. This one was green thou. 2nd time was couple years ago when I was in my garden weeding. Scared the daylights outta me when it popped out from under a leaf onto my arm. I took it in to show my daughter and she freaked out bigtime. lol Guess I wasn't so cool in her eyes right then. She does tend to be a sponge, soaking up all the info I talk to her about with all the wildlife and plants that are around us. She can tell you the name of every spider, snake, bushes, vines, frogs, etc that live in our yard and the woods surrounding us.
1 person likes this
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
10 Oct 07
That's so awesome that you teach your kids about nature. My dad was like that with me. I think that's why I'm able to pick up banana slugs and frogs now. Kinda grosses my hubby out tho. Hehehehe! But I haven't managed to let the mantis onto my hand yet. LOL
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
11 Sep 07
I don't know where I heard it, but you should consider yourself lucky to have those praying manitses, since they are considered lucky to have...this is true I think in the oriental cultures, and they will even have cages to keep them in..perhaps someone from an oriental culture could verify this for me...Thought I'd make my own little contribution here...years and years ago, I did a series of shots of a praying mantis on a black-eyed susan--it's not as large as yours but I think you'll be able to see it??
1 person likes this
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
11 Sep 07
That is an awesome photo hon. That little guy had just the right coloring to contrast against the petals. Cool! I've heard about them being good luck too. But I think I'll just let my little gems stay in the trumpet vine. I think if I had them in the house, kitties would make snacks out of them. LOL
@3lilangels (4639)
• United States
13 Sep 07
what a great picture,well hello there little critter hows things treating you?good i hope? lol ok now my kids are gonna think im crazy talking to this bug on the computer lol,anyway great shot and nice picture.take care my friend.
@theprogamer (10532)
• United States
11 Sep 07
Beautiful still Katlady. I must agree with Lila though that insects seem to be diminishing in population, at least where I'm at. I use to see a lot of butterflies, honey bees, fireflies, mantises. Now they aren't as plentiful. It does take away from overall enjoyment of the outdoors. It was nice seeing all of the little and handsome creatures going about their business. For me its a little more difficult to catch nowadays.
1 person likes this
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
11 Sep 07
Thanks hon. I think all of those critters are showing up at my house! Just the other day, I was out pruning my roses (one of my better days dealing with the back pain), and the biggest most beautiful monarch butterfly I have ever seen flew up, perched on the rose in my hand, and then took off into the air again. It's things like that that make me wish I had a holster for my camera. That way I could get more cool pics. I'll see if I can get more photos of our awesome critters around here, and I will post them and the discussions especially for you.
