Blessing the Bugs Even in Death

We made a decision to immediately kill the "bad bugs" this year in our garden. We waited till it was too late last season. It was more of a live and let live attitude. However, witnessing whole families of squash bugs take over our pumpkins, squash, zucchini and cucumbers was a sight to behold. Pillbugs or as I have fondly called them in the past, roly-polys, were a huge issue too. Pap and I went round and round passionately debating, discussing the karma entailed in the killings.

What I mean by it was too late is that by the time it became apparent that we were the losers, and would have no more pumpkins or zucchinis, the squash bugs had moved into the garden in overwhelmingly huge numbers! I had seen the eggs last year and seen the bugs, but for the most part ignored them. I suppose I was hoping the lady bugs and praying mantis's would take care of them for me! So being pro-active this year I say Bless you as I send the little fellas into their next life. I am also inspecting the underside of the leaves on all my veggies that are susceptible for their eggs. The squash bugs lay the eggs in a wonderfully uniform pattern most of the time on the underside hidden from view. To remove these I tear off just the part of the leaf they are on. The squash bugs are hand picked off and thrown in a jar of soapy water. So long! Farewell!

Praying Mantis in the Garden For Pest Control

Meet my best friend,

Interesting, mysterious, quick footed, comical at times and sure to put a smile on my face. The praying mantis is all of this and more to me. He is one of my best friends in the garden. My alien looking warrior friend that stalks insects and swiftly makes his attack on unsuspecting intruders. Sounds brutal I know, but I have seen firsthand what a large family of squash bugs and other such critters can do to an entire plant overnight.

Pap and I bought two cocoons of praying mantis last year to release into our garden. These can be found at some nurseries or bought online. We found ours at Calloways Nursery in Dallas. Each cocoon has around 150-250 babies in it. We let the cocoons do their thing, and each day I peeked in on them to see if any of them were hatching. When the day arrived it was pretty exciting I have to say! I felt as if I was expectantly awaiting a newborn member of the family except in this case we can say lots of newborn members. Pap and I ran out into the garden with the cocoons hatching and laid them nestled in the vegetable plants.

The praying stance these little fellas do is all about attack mode. While quietly waiting to strike they assume the prayer position with their front legs folded up near their chest. They have a huge appetite and will eat all they can get, and have even been known to eat each other. After they hatched I wondered how often I would see them in the garden, and if they would stick around. I did see our praying mantis's from time to time, and they were always going about their eating ways. As you can see in the first picture near the end of the fall season last year I had one land on me as I was sitting on our back patio. We prayed together and blessed the garden, and then off he flew I suppose to find better tasting food.