In about a week, 4 have hatched. We started this science project with low expectations since the egg cases looked overly dry and lifeless. But yesterday we noticed movement in the netted habitat on the sides with tiny stringy legs hanging onto the sides.
We’ll release them into the wild soon or else they’ll start eating each other. Praying mantises only eat meat and, according to Google, lunch meat won’t suffice. They main diet includes butterflies, flies, and crickets: the latter we can purchase at Petsmart but that’s a whole lot of trouble to get and to carefully release the crickets into the habitat without letting any of them loose in the house.
The enclosed pamphlet estimates 75-200 nymphs per egg: we have 2 egg cases and 4 hatched. Many more to come hopefully!
7 responses to “Praying mantis nymphs; spring hatchers”
How exciting. What a wonderful learning project.
It’s an adventure and the hatching is successful. I let several go outdoors today, so they won’t get overcrowded. Thank you!
Wonderful!
Thank u!
So fun!
They are hatching like mad!
That was interesting Esther – did not know they were strictly “meat eaters” and yes, don’t spill the crickets and get them running around the house!