Casper, If You Find These “Nests” Please Leave Them Alone

Warmer days have finally arrived, and we're all spending more time outside.

If you have a yard, chances are you've even been doing a bit of gardening.

This means you're likely taking an up-close look at your plants and may see some things that cause you concern.

Oftentimes, Praying Mantis Egg Sacs are mistaken for Wasp Nests, and because of this many Wyomingites destroy the Egg Sacs...thinking they're doing themselves a favor.

Many people new to Wyoming have no idea that we have a thriving Praying Mantis population.

I know this city girl was shocked when I saw my first one hanging off one of our bushes on the prairie. I thought they were an insect that only lived in the Southern United States.

Not only DO Praying Mantises live in Wyoming, they actually thrive here.

Which is good news for those of you that have gardens.

While Praying Mantises are widely popular because of the super creepy fact that the females tend to eat the male's head while mating, they are actually very important in the insect food chain.

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According to this article from BugLogical.com Praying Mantises eat "various aphids, leafhoppers, mosquitoes, caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects when young. Later they will eat larger insects, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, and other pest insects."

Some avid gardeners even purchase Praying Mantis Egg Sacs online and place them in their gardens in the hopes that they will help with pest control in a natural environmentally safe way.

While I think that adult Praying Mantises are VERY cool, and my kids and I love to observe them and even let them walk on our hands and arms...I have to admit I was more than a bit grossed out when I saw what it looks like when 200 plus babies hatch.

Yucky...but necessary.

So, here's your friendly reminder to leave those Praying Mantis Egg Sacs alone if you find them.

You'll be doing yourself and your neighbors a favor by letting the baby Praying Mantises live to eat all those pesky insects that cause harm to your plants and bother you and your family while your outside trying to enjoy our three weeks of gorgeous Wyoming Summer weather ;)