Mantis Mania

I didn't take any photos of this event because it would have probably given people the willies, but the praying mantis egg sack that I harvested last month decided to hatch in the middle of the night last Thursday. I was planning on containing it, but there were so many other things on my list, you know, and I just didn't get it done. So they were basically crawling all over the kitchen eating aphids and ants. When Henry saw the 200+ mantis babies, he screamed for joy. I spend the last few days collecting them and putting them outside around my garden plants. I don't know if any of you know have ever interacted with one of these creatures, but they are pretty confident little guys, never run from you, and usually try to put up a fight. You wouldn't want to be bit by a large one, but the babies are harmless. They were so cute as I tried to pick them up, one by one, and their little arms reached out to encounter the strange finger that approached them, cocking their little heads back and forth. I just love their personalities. The second day after it happened, there were still many lingering around the kitchen and when I went to do another gathering, there was one little mantis baby sitting on the top of every thing I had on the counter, just hanging out like they owned the place. It made me smile at their audacity. They apparently love my parsley plant as they have congregated on it outside in my planter. Henry has really loved seeing them in the house and takes good care of them, as he does other bugs, carrying them around the house with both hands and saying, "It's okay sweetie pie. Good job sweetie baby" and so on. So, that was an adventure. I might have been the only mother on the planet that enjoyed a million praying mantis' running around her kitchen. Now I'm just waiting for our orb weaver spider egg sack to hatch. It's right outside our sliding door...