Wednesday, May 27, 2009

What do you get when...

ETA: I did not take this picture...I found it on the internet. While I do have a few bug photos I don't have any Praying Mantis' and the babies in my kitchen were tiny! Thank God they didn't look like this-because if I came home to 200 of these in my kitchen I might have had a heart attack!

You rescue two Praying Mantis eggs (each which contains approximately 200 babies) from the dried fountain grass you are cutting back in the spring, bring them inside and keep them on your kitchen windowsill until you find a nice safe place for them outside when the weather gets warmer, BUT you forget about putting them outside...YES! They hatch and cover every square inch of your kitchen window, sink, valance, canisters...okay, some went down the drain I'm afraid...

Now those of you who don't like any kind of bugs are probably freaking out. I on the other hand just found it a nuisance-what if they fell into the ground beef while I was making hamburgers? I opened the kitchen window and screen and was able to "push" most of them out. I don't expect that many of them survived, but even if they hatched outside I suspect the survival rate isn't much better than in my kitchen. Even so, there are at least 2 dozen still inhabiting the window and surrounding area. I had the eggs inside a jar (with no lid) and it appeared that there were more coming out still so I placed those outside in a plant on my porch. I hope lots of them do make it...they are the coolest insects! I wish I had had my wits to grab my camera, but I just knew I had to act fast!

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On another note...

Cheryl - My Cardmaking Haven and Carolyn - Stamping, Scrapbooking, and Card Hobbyist both presented me with this lovely award.

Thank you so much ladies, very thoughtful! I will try to make time to pass it on!

8 comments:

LeAnne said...

Oh boy, lotsa preymantises!!!! This happened to my third grade class at school---all over the windowsills, the counter, the desks!!! Yikes! They are cool....but not in the kitchen! TFS!

~T~ said...

Oh my that is too funny!

Bonnie said...

OH my GAWD Danielle! I am freakin' out a bit just thinking about it.....you are something else with your big ol' kind heart!!

Carol Dee said...

COOL, I love those crazy bugs, so good to have in the garden. Good luck moving the last of them to freedom. :)

Rose Ann said...

I think Praying Matis insects are so interesting to watch...such great hunters!! Great picture!! Congrats on your award too!!

Ila said...

Wow!! what a Fabulous photo!!...I can't imagine having all these bugs in my house...I don't know much about them though..and I don't think I've ever seen them around here...I'll have to read up on them...Hope your home is soon bug-free..lol.

Tammi said...

ACK!!! My eyes are like really huge right now! So glad you didn't get that picture! ;) Your a sweetie though saving all you could. We used to see them all the time when we lived in Missouri, we get them here once in awhile. *Goes down to the next post, wondering what she'll see!* lol :)

Amy said...

Now this would have been an experience! Great photo!! Eek on the kitchen!!