Gifts are great, but the last thing you need under your tree on Christmas morning are hundreds of baby praying mantises. Families across the country have been sharing their stories of praying mantis ...

“Hey, guys, come quick! Look at this!” exclaimed one of our most senior Master Gardeners at the West Valley Food Garden last week. Our small herd of workers hurried over to see what she was so excited ...

DEAR GARDEN COACH: I found these growths on my crepe myrtle bush when I was pruning. Can you identify them for me? Are they harming my plant? Stephen M., Brentwood DEAR STEPHEN: Consider yourself a ...

Even though it happens every fall, I’m always pleasantly surprised to find a praying mantis egg case. In our garden, I found the first one a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure there were others around ...

No matter how many times I come across one, I always get a kick when I find a praying mantis egg case. The tan-colored egg cases are somewhat common but hard enough to find that it makes them a bit of ...

DEAR STEPHEN: Consider yourself a lucky gardener. These growths are actually egg sacks of the praying mantis, a beneficial insect for your garden. Two praying mantis egg sacks. The one on top is from ...