Little 85's

Last year we found this praying mantis hanging out on our front steps in the potted plants we had there. She hung out all summer and held on late in the fall and I think even into early winter. She was a tuff bug. So we got to know her and love her and all that. After some online research we discovered the two weird growths on the plants were actually her egg sacks. We placed both sacks on the back deck and let them chill over the winter. Once we got the new plants on the steps and back deck, we moved a sack to the front and back of the house. On mothers day, we got home and there were 10 to 12 little 85's running around on the obelisk we got in the pot. My wife loved it. It was a great gift for her. So we have successfully continued the family line of 85. I hope one of these little 85's can produce the next generation of 85's. It will be killer if we can have our own supply of praying mantis around. They eat other insects better than birds.

In case your wonder why 85 for the name, my wife and I watch sports together a lot. She got me into baseball, I got her into hockey, we both love football. So last year when NFLN was showing that commercial with Chad Johnson from the Bengals, it would say "Where you at 85?". So in the evening when we got home we would look for our praying mantis and eventually we singing the commercial jingle. So she became 85. And these new guys and gal praying mantis' are the little 85's cause they are so tiny right now. It has been fun carrying on the generation for them and I will keep you posted on the progress of the 85's.