There’s a huge praying mantis hanging out on my floor lamp. Just looking at me with its beady little mantis eyes. How did it get in here? And why? It has to go, I’m just not quite sure how I’m going to get it outside without squishing it. I’m used to spiders, but I’m not sharing this place with any praying mantis! Next thing you know, the squirrels will be moving in.
See if you can coax the mantis onto another object (for some reason, they’re quite fond of cups) and take it outside. I don’t think I’ve ever had a praying mantis in my house, but I’ve noticed that they like to hang out arount my front door. Maybe they’re attracted by all the insects that congregate around my porch light.
A cup–good idea! I scooped it up in a paper towel and put it outside. It’ll probably hang out beside my door and glare at me every time I leave. Praying mantises have very sticky feet–maybe that’s where the idea for velcro came from.
We had a rabid raccoon in the neighborhood that was trying to break into houses, so it’s much better to have a housebreaking mantis.
You wouldn’t think an insect would be interested in something as large as a human; most insects just walk or fly away. It’s really strange how their little heads twist around so they can stare at you.
…thinking, “Now how in the heck can I get that into manageable chunks?”
IIRC, a praying mantis is one of the easiest insects to handle. Just grab its long neck from behind, and it’ll be unable to bite you or hurt you in any way.
Praying Mantis: Giving himself the bird.
:eek:
:eek:
Now I’m kinda scared. Maybe it really did think I was lunch. scr4, I’m not so sure I want to touch one of those things without protection. Maybe next time I’ll call the crocodile hunter–he knows how to handle man-eating beasts!
Jeep’s Phoenix, the way they look at you is very strange. They’re so focused and intense. Maybe it’s thinking “Hmmmm…she looks very tender and tasty.”
That is a really cool link, Oh Twee One.
And then sometimes they do this stretching thing with their front legs…
It’s kinda cool watching them clean their little “arms” though.