This appears to be a very fast process, so I feel fortunate to have caught it happening. This is in North Georgia, USDA Hardiness Zone 8a, March 23, 2026. Pretty cool, eh?
That’s dope. This has to be great for fighting pests right?
Anheroed
They’ll start eating each other soon. I caught this at my house last year and spread them out around the yard as fast as I could grab them.
Away-Elephant-4323
This is so interesting yet terrifying at the same time! Haha!
CrowMeris
Truly, truly cool!
optimal_center
Good video. We don’t get to see it very often.
escapingspirals
I never realized how many hatch out of one sac!
Thruthatreez
It has to be a fast process or there won’t be many left. They’ll start eating each other right away 🤣 when I was a kid I found a nest while I was out in the woods and I didn’t know what it was. I made a pretty terrarium and put it in there. I figured once whatever it was came out I would just open the terrarium and put it outside to let them loose. They hatched and I thought I’ll put it out side tomorrow. Tomorrow there were much less in there than the day before.
Mr_McGuy
What’s the temperature the last week or so? I have 3 mantis egg sacks and I want to be proactive about moving them when they hatch.
Zippity19
If you have hummingbirds,watch out!A mantis will harm them!
Pharmietechie
I hope they aren’t the invasive Chinese ones those are the big ones who eat native mantises and kill birds 🙁
momochan1992
So cool! Very lucky to have caught this moment, but also to have your garden blessed with these little babies
Komodo135
I remember as a child my parents purchased a praying mantis nest for us to place in our garden in the summer. Yet since it was winter at the time It somehow was forgotten and misplaced until the weather got warmer and we suddenly discovered hundreds of babies crawling out of a drawer in the entryway. We spent the next hour our so frantically collecting them and placing them outside. As a kid it was a fond memory, but I’m sure it wasn’t the same experience for my parents.
understanding_is_key
Personally, I would exterminate all these as quick as you can. I get rid of all the invasive Chinese mantis ootheca I can find.
One of my favorite critters. I have kept them as pets! I have two oothecas waiting in my garden! Cannot wait to see all the babies!
waterlilees
It’s an egg sack called an ootheca!
B0bYang
Ahh hell yeah. RELEASE THE POCKET NINJAS
Far_Out_6and_2
Why are they invasive
UnhingedBlonde
I love praying mantis. I found a massive cocoon once when I was small, we didn’t know what it was and my mom let me put it on our deck. It hatched one morning as I watched and I was FASCINATED by the millions of babies that came out and “flew” away. It was windy and the gusts were grabbing little poofs of babies and sending them off into the air. It was SO COOL lol.
ChrisInBliss
The poor one dangling for its life on the bottom 😅
whyisitallsotoxic
Oooooooootheca!
1dirtbiker
Awesome! Love praying mantises!
krmarshall87
Accidentally found one of these with weedwacker. Those little guys got launched all over me and weren’t too happy about it.
28 Comments
That’s dope. This has to be great for fighting pests right?
They’ll start eating each other soon. I caught this at my house last year and spread them out around the yard as fast as I could grab them.
This is so interesting yet terrifying at the same time! Haha!
Truly, truly cool!
Good video. We don’t get to see it very often.
I never realized how many hatch out of one sac!
It has to be a fast process or there won’t be many left. They’ll start eating each other right away 🤣 when I was a kid I found a nest while I was out in the woods and I didn’t know what it was. I made a pretty terrarium and put it in there. I figured once whatever it was came out I would just open the terrarium and put it outside to let them loose. They hatched and I thought I’ll put it out side tomorrow. Tomorrow there were much less in there than the day before.
What’s the temperature the last week or so? I have 3 mantis egg sacks and I want to be proactive about moving them when they hatch.
If you have hummingbirds,watch out!A mantis will harm them!
I hope they aren’t the invasive Chinese ones those are the big ones who eat native mantises and kill birds 🙁
So cool! Very lucky to have caught this moment, but also to have your garden blessed with these little babies
I remember as a child my parents purchased a praying mantis nest for us to place in our garden in the summer. Yet since it was winter at the time It somehow was forgotten and misplaced until the weather got warmer and we suddenly discovered hundreds of babies crawling out of a drawer in the entryway. We spent the next hour our so frantically collecting them and placing them outside. As a kid it was a fond memory, but I’m sure it wasn’t the same experience for my parents.
Personally, I would exterminate all these as quick as you can. I get rid of all the invasive Chinese mantis ootheca I can find.
More info here: https://www.brandywine.org/conservancy/blog/invasive-mantis-species
Omg I’m so envious!! I had one take up residence in my beds last season and I’m hoping they’ll be back this year.
The ootheca looks like the invasive Chinese mantis 😦 even the European mantis isn’t native.
Please cross post to Nature Is F…ing Lit.
Only, they spell it out.
You’ll get extra love there. And as an old Biology major, great capture. Thank you +.
Carolina Mantis is what you want.
https://preview.redd.it/fyucwmrpttqg1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bd9cdfc9ba1191c1fc6d58ed58486f2b566c321f
One of my favorite critters. I have kept them as pets! I have two oothecas waiting in my garden! Cannot wait to see all the babies!
It’s an egg sack called an ootheca!
Ahh hell yeah. RELEASE THE POCKET NINJAS
Why are they invasive
I love praying mantis. I found a massive cocoon once when I was small, we didn’t know what it was and my mom let me put it on our deck. It hatched one morning as I watched and I was FASCINATED by the millions of babies that came out and “flew” away. It was windy and the gusts were grabbing little poofs of babies and sending them off into the air. It was SO COOL lol.
The poor one dangling for its life on the bottom 😅
Oooooooootheca!
Awesome! Love praying mantises!
Accidentally found one of these with weedwacker. Those little guys got launched all over me and weren’t too happy about it.
The alien army has been activated
Is this a loquat tree ?