Praying mantids can help protect your garden from pests in a natural way. According to Kansas State University entomologist Raymond Cloyd, these insect predators will eat many pests, such as flies, crickets, moths, butterflies, wasps, and caterpillars.

You can find praying mantid egg cases, which look like hardened Styrofoam, between November and April. They may be on branches, stems, fences, or the sides of houses. After the eggs hatch, small mantid nymphs, which look like miniature adults, will appear within 3-10 weeks. However, not all nymphs will survive because they can be eaten by birds, toads, or other predators.

To help ensure mantids in your garden, you can preserve the egg cases by placing them in a glass jar with air holes. Keep the jar inside your home, and after 4-6 weeks, nymphs will hatch. If you want to delay the hatching, put the jar in the refrigerator for 1-2 months. When the nymphs emerge, release them into the garden, but don’t do so if the temperature is below freezing.

If you can’t find egg cases in your garden, consider buying them from a garden center or nursery.

Cloyd and his colleagues in K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly Horticulture Newsletter with tips for maintaining home landscapes and gardens.