Not bees but.......

[rober]

pretty cool. every year i buy 20-30 praying manis egg pods. there can be 25-200 per pod. the last photo is the pod so you'll recognize it if you see it on a tree branch. they come right out of the chute as mini mantids. they start out creamy yellow but change color within minutes to match their surroundings.

[bulldog]

that's so cool. the praying mantis has always been my favorite insect. shame they are so rare i almost never see any.
where did you get those ?

[jmblakeney]

Wow, I never knew thats what those where.  (the pods) I used to see bunches of those when I was a kid and out "exploring".    What purpose do you buy them for?

Thanks for teaching me something new.

James

[forrestcav]

they are used for natural insect control

[rober]

i get them because they eat bugs in the garden & i just like them. this year i bought 20 pods. so far 6 have hatched. there have been some periods when i have not bought any but in the last 30 years i've probably released 40,000 or more mantids. you can find them online & even on e bay these days. if all 20 hatch & average 100 bugs that's 2000 bugs. even with that many i might see only 10 or 15 during the summer, usually in the fall. they recommend tying the pods to tree branches but i've seen the birds feast when they spot a hatch so i keep them in a vented jar & check them daily. i do find some pods on my shrubs & trees every now & then. i have a couple old chinese cricket cages. i on occasion will keep one for a while. i also catch katydids & cage them. they sing in the evenings.

[enchplant]

Those are so cool! great pictures

[Tim Bates]

My wife gets those and ladybugs for the kids to release.

[rober]

i also get ladybugs, lacewings, nematodes, & assasin bugs. no pesticides in my garden.

[morb]

Cool stuff

[AliciaH]

rober:  would any of those target cucumber beetles?

[rober]

they will eat anything that can can catch, including each other. assassin bugs are the same way. lacewings will eat smaller insects. ladybugs eat aphids & eggs. they are great for eating the eggs that the squash bugs lay. if you buy ladybugs hose down the area you are going to release them in & release them at night. more will stay around that way. watch for small orange eggs on the bottoms of leaves. their larva are more voracious the the adults. look up the larva on line so you'll recognize them & not kill them by mistake. you've probably already seen them but did not know what they were.
here's a link for one source:http://www..com/
& another page with several links:http://praying mantiseggs.org/
they are also being sold on e bay & amazon. it's getting close to the end of the selling season & some of the sellers on e bay will haggle on the price. i bought mine this year for $1.25 per egg case. some sellers are gouging unaware buyers as much as $10.00 per case.
if you have a really bad infestation you can dust with diatoms earth or retuning. these are non poisonous powders that clog the insects breathing. while they are not poisonous you should wear a dust mask as they can be an irritant to the lungs. they also need to be reapplied if it rains. i put these powders in an empty plastic coffee jar. drill a bunch of small holes in the lid & use the jar like a salt shaker.

[beehappy1950]

Will any of these bugs get rid of tater bugs? And what gets rid of the bugs that eat cabbage?

[rober]

click on the links in my last post. there are several sites listed that will explain what to use & when & where in better detail than i can.

[luvin honey]

Will any of these bugs get rid of tater bugs? And what gets rid of the bugs that eat cabbage?

bT is great on cabbage moth caterpillars. Interesting about the mantis! Great photos!

[edward]

I have a friend that got payed for every ladybird/ladybug she caught and let go inside her parents greenhouse 

mvh edward 

[sterling]

Will any of these bugs get rid of tater bugs? And what gets rid of the bugs that eat cabbage?

Black pepper on cabbage plants will help keep cabbage worms off.

[AllenF]

Very cool pics.