The Complete Guide to Praying Mantises in the Garden (With Fun Facts & Care Tips!)

What is a Praying Mantis?

A praying mantis is a carnivorous insect known for its upright posture and folded front legs that resemble hands in prayer—hence the name. They belong to the order Mantodea, and there are over 2,400 species worldwide, with many found in New Zealand gardens too.

• Size: Ranges from 1 to 6 inches (2.5 to 15 cm)

• Color: Green, brown, or tan—perfect camouflage

• Lifespan: About 6 months to a year

• Diet: Carnivorous (insects, pests, even small slugs, frogs or lizards)

Why Are Praying Mantises Good for the Garden?

1. 🐛 Natural Pest Control

Praying mantises are voracious predators. They feed on:

• Aphids

• Moths

• Caterpillars

• Grasshoppers

• Beetles

• Flies

• Crickets

This makes them a chemical-free solution to pest problems, helping maintain a healthy ecosystem without harming pollinators if populations are balanced.

2. 🌱 They Target Destructive Insects

They tend to eat the insects that cause major damage to plants—like leaf chewers and sap suckers. So, your veggies, fruits, herbs, and flowers benefit directly from their presence.

3. 🧘‍♀️ Low Maintenance Allies

Unlike birds or ladybugs that may fly off, praying mantises are territorial and tend to stay in the same area if food is plentiful, which is great for consistent pest control.

4. 🌾 Sustainable Garden Helper

By reducing the need for chemical pesticides, praying mantises help create a more biodiverse, balanced, and eco-friendly garden.

How to Attract Praying Mantises to Your Garden

1. Avoid Pesticides – They are sensitive to chemicals.

2. Grow Native Plants – They support insects mantises like to eat.

3. Provide Hiding Spots – Use shrubs, tall grasses, and flowers.

4. Buy Egg Cases – Some garden centers or online stores sell oothecae to introduce them to your garden.

   
   

Lifecycle of a Praying Mantis

• Egg Case (Ootheca): Laid in late summer to autumn. These can survive winter.

• Nymphs: Hatch in spring, looking like mini adults.

• Adults: Appear by summer. Females are often larger than males.

You can often find their egg sacs attached to branches, fences, or plant stems.

The Final Chapter of a Praying Mantis's Life

As autumn fades into winter, the life cycle of the praying mantis nears its end—especially for those living in temperate climates. These elegant and formidable garden hunters live fast and die with quiet purpose, completing a natural rhythm that supports the ecosystem around them.

Before the End: Mating and Egg Laying

In late summer to early autumn, adult praying mantises reach maturity and enter their reproductive stage. This is the most dramatic and essential phase of their life:

• Mating Rituals: Males seek out females, often guided by pheromones. After a cautious courtship, mating occurs. In some species, the female may cannibalize the male—especially if food is scarce—though this doesn't always happen.

• Egg Case Creation (Ootheca): After mating, the female focuses on laying eggs. She produces a frothy secretion that hardens into a protective case (ootheca) containing 100–400 eggs. These cases are often attached to twigs, stems, or sheltered areas to overwinter.

Once the female lays her ootheca—sometimes several—her life's primary purpose is fulfilled.

During the End: Gradual Decline

As temperatures drop and food sources dwindle, the praying mantis slows down significantly. Here's what happens in their final days:

• Lethargy Sets In: Cold-blooded by nature, mantises become sluggish as the air cools. Their reflexes, once lightning-fast for catching prey, begin to fade.

• Reduced Hunting: With fewer insects to eat and less energy to chase, many mantises stop feeding altogether.

• Natural Death: Most mantises die of exposure to cold weather, starvation, or old age. Their bodies often return to the soil, enriching the ground for the next generation of plants and insects.

The Legacy Lives On

Although an adult mantis’s life is brief—usually about 4 to 6 months—their impact on the garden is lasting. Their eggs lie dormant through winter, protected by the ootheca. Come spring, tiny mantis nymphs emerge, ready to start the cycle anew.

Praying mantises are more than fascinating insects—they are symbols of balance, patience, and renewal in the garden ecosystem.

Be sure to check out the You Tube video about Praying Mantis in my garden below:

10 Fun Facts About Praying Mantises

1. They Can Turn Their Heads

Praying mantises are one of the only insects that can rotate their heads 180 degrees to look over their shoulder! This gives them excellent vision and awareness of their surroundings.

2. Masters of Camouflage

Many mantises can blend into their environment—green ones hide in leaves, brown ones mimic twigs, and some tropical species even look like orchid flowers to ambush pollinators!

3. They Have Super Vision

Mantises have five eyes: two big compound eyes for depth and detail, and three simple eyes on top of their heads for detecting light and movement.

4. They Strike Lightning Fast

Their forelegs can snap forward to grab prey in just 50 to 70 milliseconds—faster than the blink of an eye!

5. They’re Cannibals… Sometimes

Female mantises have a reputation for eating their mates—especially when hungry or disturbed. This isn’t always the case, but it sure adds to their mystique!

6. They’re Ancient Hunters

Fossils show that mantises have been around for over 135 million years, dating back to the age of the dinosaurs!

7. They Can Catch Hummingbirds!

While rare, large mantises have been known to catch and eat small birds, frogs, or lizards. Talk about a bold bug!

8. They’re Great Garden Helpers

They munch on many destructive pests like aphids, caterpillars, and grasshoppers, making them natural pest control allies in organic gardens.

9. Baby Mantises Are Born Ready

When mantis nymphs hatch from the ootheca, they immediately begin hunting tiny insects—and sometimes, their own siblings!

10. They’ve Been to Space (Sort Of!)

Praying mantis eggs have been included in science experiments aboard space shuttles, as part of biological studies on insect development in zero gravity.

🌿 Top Gardening Tips for Welcoming Praying Mantises

🌼 1. Grow Native Plants

Native plants attract the kinds of insects that praying mantises feed on. Include flowering herbs like:

• Dill

• Fennel

• Marigolds

• Cosmos

• Yarrow

These attract pollinators and pest insects—both of which mantises love.

🚫 2. Avoid Pesticides

Chemical sprays (even organic ones) can harm or kill mantises and their food sources. Go pesticide-free to let nature control pests for you.

🪻 3. Create Hiding Spots

Praying mantises love to stalk prey from shaded, camouflaged locations. Give them cover using:

• Bushes

• Tall grass

• Shrubs

• Dense flowering plants

They’ll feel safer and stay longer in your garden.

🪵 4. Leave Some Wild Areas

Don’t over-tidy your garden. Leave a small brush pile, dry stalks, or natural mulch where mantis eggs (oothecae) can safely attach.

🐣 5. Watch for Ootheca (Egg Cases)

Mantis eggs look like brown, foamy lumps on stems, fences, or branches. Do not remove or toss them—they’ll hatch in spring and give you a new generation of pest patrol!

Tip: If you’re trimming in autumn or winter, you can gently relocate branches with egg cases to sheltered areas.

🛍️ 6. Buy and Release Egg Cases

Some garden centers and online stores sell praying mantis oothecae. These can be released in spring to boost your garden’s natural pest control.

✅ Place them in sheltered spots like tree branches or garden stakes✅ Avoid overly damp or shaded areas

🌞 7. Give Them Sunshine

Mantises love to bask in warm, sunny spots to stay active and hunt. A mix of sun and shade helps support both mantises and the prey they rely on.

🔄 8. Practice Companion Planting

Plants like basil, lavender, and nasturtiums draw both good and bad bugs, which creates a balanced buffet for mantises.

👩‍🌾 Bonus Tip: Observe and Learn

Praying mantises are fascinating to watch! They teach patience and balance—so take time to observe their stealthy movements, hunting techniques, and even molting stages

Things to Be Aware Of

• Non-selective Predators: They’ll eat beneficial insects too, like butterflies and even bees, if they’re hungry.

• Cannibalistic Behavior: Females sometimes eat males after mating.

• Not Always Native: The Chinese mantis and African mantis are introduced species in some areas and can outcompete native species.

Summary: Why You Want Praying Mantises in Your Garden

✅ Eat garden pests

✅ Require no human intervention

✅ Promote organic gardening

✅ Provide a fascinating learning opportunity for kids and adults alike.

Inviting praying mantises into your garden is a beautiful way to embrace nature’s own pest control system while supporting a healthy, organic ecosystem. These fascinating insects not only help keep destructive bugs at bay, but also bring a sense of balance and wonder to your outdoor space. By understanding their life cycle, providing a safe habitat, and avoiding harmful chemicals, you can enjoy the many benefits of having these silent garden guardians around—season after season.

Happy Gardening Guys!

Disclaimer

The information provided on this blog is for general educational and informational purposes only. While I strive to share accurate and up-to-date knowledge about praying mantises and organic gardening practices, I am not a certified entomologist, horticulturist, or pest control expert.

Always consider your local ecosystem, native species, and climate when applying gardening tips or introducing insects into your garden. The use of beneficial insects, such as praying mantises, should be done responsibly and with care to maintain a healthy environmental balance.

Any actions taken based on the content of this blog are at your own discretion and risk. I am not liable for any outcomes resulting from the implementation of advice found on this site.

For specific concerns, please consult a local gardening professional or environmental specialist.