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Praying Mantis Release Instructions
The well-known praying mantis (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis) will attack almost any insect and completes one life-cycle per season. It usually takes two to four weeks of warm temperatures for the egg cases to hatch. The tiny mantis force themselves through the narrow slits of the egg case and immediately disperse into the foliage. One praying mantis egg case will yield approximately 50-200 young mantis instars. Unless you can find a small newborn, it is difficult to tell if the egg cases actually hatched.
After 5-6 months, the mantis reach their full size, and females deposit 1-5 egg cases on brush and flower stalks -- they then die. The praying mantis egg cases overwinter and hatch out in the spring, completing the life cycle.
If immediate release is inconvenient you can keep the egg case(s) in the refrigerator for up to one week, but they must be in a ventilated container. DO NOT FREEZE. To release, simply tie the praying mantis egg case(s) to twigs or branches about three feet above the ground. Birds and rodents will feed on them, so placing them in a container with holes large enough for the mantis to escape -- 1/4 to 1/2 inch diameter -- will provide protection.
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