Praying Mantis

Using Beneficial Insects to Control Pests
Protect your plants, naturally.

Did you know that 95% of all known insects are beneficial to humankind? In addition, the Lady bug, one of the more popular beneficial insects, can eat about 80 aphids a day? Plus, the nutrients in aphids are necessary for the Ladybug to make healthy babies. An adult Ladybug will lay about 1500 eggs during her lifespan, and she will place her eggs in the middle of an aphid colony to ensure her babies survival.

The proper use of beneficial insects has been proven as an effective and efficient alternative to the application of pesticides in the greenhouse. Using beneficial insects not only lowers the populations of pests, but is also safer for your plants. Before adding any insects to the environment, you should consider these six points:

1. Carefully identify the target pest populations because many predatory bugs are geared to go after only certain other insects.

2. Only buy the insects from qualified suppliers.

3. Do not use residual pesticides up to a month before releasing the new beneficial insects.

4. Release the new insects when the population of the target pest is at a low level and, if possible, when the bulk of them are in a vulnerable stage in their life cycle.

5. Keep and maintain a suitable environment for the beneficial insects. Make sure your greenhouse environment favors them over the pests.

6. Be sure that you can identify your beneficial insects in all stages of life so that you don't end up considering them a problem after their release.

1. Where should I put my Praying Mantis egg case?
Praying Mantis egg cases are vulnerable to birds, and rodents. Put the egg case in a safe place off the ground where they will have the best chance to hatch, find cover, and be protected from other predators.

2. How do I know that my Praying Mantises have hatched?
The Praying Mantis egg case will not open, the tiny mantises will emerge from the folds of the egg case. Praying Mantises will hatch and disperse within a few hours, so it is easy to miss the hatch. However, give them time to grow, and you will spot them later in the summer. Praying Mantises are easiest to spot on the side of a building when they are catching some sun.

3. How do Praying Mantises come to me when I buy them?
Praying Mantises are delivered as an egg case with about 200 eggs inside that will hatch in May or June.

4. What do Praying Mantises do?
Praying Mantises attack many flying and crawling pests that eat your plants and flowers.