Babies everywhere

[Ashleyma23]

Hello All,

My family and I decided to get a cut your own Xmas tree this year and after my friends experience with spiders I figured I would still give it a shot. We picked up a beautiful tree and it was a really fun experience for our 5 kids.

Fast track 3 weeks (31) I wake up and I grab my slippers, I see some type of insects. I panicked and brushed it off. When I gathered and inspected the rest , I found more and more. I could figure out what they were. I brushed the rest out the door and was so creeped out.

Later on I was sweeping the dinning room, to my surprise
My whole dining room was swarming with these insects.
Up the walls, cieling , behind the jackets , literally everywhere.

I didn't know what they were and that terrified me. I was literally getting goosebumps. They didn't bother , bite or attempt to do harm.

Finally getting myself under control , I googled what could have come on the tree. Then I realized they were baby prey mantis!

Of course they must have hatched in my warm house as they would have done in the spring time if they were not cut down with the Xmas tree.

We have a few dozen left. I put one in a container to keep for my kids as a pet , our daughter named her "Popcorn"!
I put some on my orchids.

I also bought an orchid and it too has a keiki on it.

My husband and I are done having kids but everything around me is making babies , lol.

[DeaC]

Oh my! So what does one do with the rest? Perhaps a call to an agriculture extension facility would help out if you haven't already found a solution. Keep posting on this plz!

[estación seca]

Now you have to raise some other kind of insect for the mantids to eat!

[mheleo]

If you are close, I will take them. I have an Oscar fish that I can feed them to.

[Ashleyma23]

Originally Posted by mheleo

If you are close, I will take them. I have an Oscar fish that I can feed them to.

Lol I'm not close by.

We threw out the tree there are only about 10 now. They will probably eat each other.

As for the ones that are for pets. I am going to buy a pet container to keep them. They are pretty cool.