Use all Organic methods. NEVER any poison of any kind. Go to the Organic section of Garden web.

Use bacillus thurengitis or BT for cabbage worms.

Whatever you used go read the package and report back what you used. If you use poison you will kill off all your praying mantis.

I never use poisons in 40 years and no problems. Believe me you do not need poisons. If you out poison on your food and then eat it you will poison yourself. You will years later come down with cancer. Just because you have a few cabbage worms does not mean you have to poison yourself and die of cancer. there are other solutions.

Thanks for your opinions dangould, and I understand what you are saying. I tried to do the organic thing but after consuming bugs....I decided that it was not for me. I knew that an organic gardener would express NOT to use a pesticide, but I am looking for other input as well. Again, thank you for answering my post.

smiles, Honey, you are a class act. :-)

Okay... that said....

Can you mix up a batch of dish soap and water and spray your plants with a misting bottle? I know there are some terrific "recipes" for various soap sprays that the kind folks here have used with great success, and hopefully they will be along soon to post them. And that way, you could keep a watchful eye while spraying so as to avoid the garden friends.

I never see my mantids in my yard until July at the earliest. I envy you, having those little darlings to visit with already in June. :-)

They snuck in with my broccoli...and after finishing half my meal I looked down and realized what that funny taste was. Even thinking about it makes me want to hurl.....mind you I even soaked the broccoli in salt water after I brought it in...AND steamed it. I made my husband change the light bulbs in my kitchen, lol.

The Mantids are really cute :) I actually witnessed one eating a lightning bug yesterday evening.

I have also read that a solution of cayenne pepper and lemon juice might work also, but that stuff is hot hot hot.....maybe to hot for a Mantid baby?

Oh god! I think i'm gonna chunder! Oh well...you're still lucky that you have them.

I use mantids and lady bugs in my garden. I buy them from Hirts gardens, and I don't have much of a problem with bugs.

Eating bugs is one of the hazards of gardening. Wash the leaves with soapy water when you see bugs crawling on your plants, and dry throughly. And make sure to buy a LOT of mantids and ladybugs because the birds do eat them.

After that, and checking my veggies with a really strong light when I bring them in, I haven't had much of a problem with bugs.

Now If I could only get that ! bunny holt. . .

I bought a mantid egg for the first time this year--have not seen the little guys since they hatched (between 200-300). I am assuming they are hiding (since that is what they do best at that size). Have not eaten one yet :D

Looking forward to seeing them again when they are a tad bigger than the 1/4-1/2 inch they were when they hatched.

as long as I end up with 2 adults (1 male and 1 female) I will call it a success, as they eat so much as adults. Already, I am seeing no evdence of aphids and the other small bugs/bug eggs (sized just right for baby mantid food) are being quickly eaten away.

I am seeing a lot less of the little bitty ants in my garden too, all of a sudden....hmmmm, I wonder why :D

I know they work on getting rid of bugs....but my question was more related to the pesticides.

Smiles,

If you don't want to exclusively do organic that's fine, but BT is a great product and really works against most of the worms and definately cabbage worms. You can buy it in dust form just like a non-organic pesticide (it's sold as Dipel) or you can buy it in a spray form or concentrate (also sold as caterpillar killer by green light or safer, I can't remember,--there are other brands read the ingredients and look for bacillus thurengitis). Be sure not to apply it during the heat of the day cause the sun inactivates it but if you spray/dust it in the evening or on a cloudy day it will work great. BT shouldn't hurt mantises, it only works against caterpillars (which is what cabbage worms are). You don't say which pesticide you used so there isn't much people can say about the toxicity to mantisis.

What about one which is like.....safe for mantids and kills everything else?

Born and Raised on a farm I have been gardening since before I can remember. The past 20 years primarily organic gardening. There are organic gardening approved Bug Killers that you can buy. I try not to use them any more than I have to but in some cases I do still use them. BT is a wonderful product for cabbage worms . As someone else has said it kills caterpillars not everything. Obviously you still want to be careful using anything. I have lots of beneficial insects including praying mantises in my garden and raised beds and Planters around my patio. If you're not sure look up BT on the internet and read about it.