If you remember, I posted last week about my little mini project that I am doing with my kids. You can see it here.
I thought that I would give an update of the project since we are now into week 2 of the ootheca watching and waiting to see if we will be producing some praying mantids. I’m actually getting a little impatient with the whole thing but from my research, I am looking at 3 to 6 weeks so I still have time.
Since I am waiting, I have decided to do a bit of reading on Praying Mantids and also on the Ootheca and caring for it. There are various instructions for this but basically it comes down to keeping the ootheca in a well ventilated container and providing some moisture for humidity. I have been misting it but not soaking it and I guess it would simulate the rain that we have been having (although a much smaller amount).
For the kids, who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Praying Mantids, we have been looking at some of their books and also downloading some worksheets for them. If you would like to do some with your kids, I have included a few links for you to print out. I find that the Internet has so many things that you can pull from but it is important to find accurate information. All you need is to find yourself giving your child the wrong information and being called on it!
Information About the Praying Mantis
Praying Mantis Videos: I would watch the videos first to make sure that there isn’t anything on the video that may startle your child.
For those of you who are interested in hatching out some praying mantids, I found this site where you can order your own Praying Mantis Case or Ootheca. I would only recommend doing this if you are absolutely positive that Praying Mantids are native to your area and also make sure that you are hatching the native species since there are several types. Here is the link to the site and happy hatching if you order some.
Sirena Van Schaik
