Preying Mantis eating my bees.

[Chris Luck]

I bet not many of you have these eating your honey bees.

C'est mignon n'est-ce pas?

Chris

 

[rockdoc]

Wow, that's one beasty you can keep on your side of the channel! Although we've had little black scorpions on the cliffs behind Dover docks for a while now, so you never know.

 

[tkwinston4]

Stunning! I cant imagine she makes much of an impact does she?

 

[Chris Luck]

They aren't of any concern at all, perhaps a few bees a day at the most, I just thought it was just another nice example of the complexities of the food matrix. Strange looking insects and fascinating to watch in action, very slow and robotic until the grab takes place.

I noticed a Mantis egg sack under the lid of a hive the other day as well.

Chris

 

[Haughton Honey]

You get about six of those to a kebab in Thailand.....

 

[peteinwilts]

I don't think this was threatening the ladies, but the bees were treating it with suspicion.

a common lizard, I believe, although I have never seen one in wiltshire before... taken last week.

 

[Chris Luck]

I see lots of wall lizards on and around my hives, (they often live underneath them). The bees completely ignore them and all the lizards are interested in are tiny flies and sunning themselves.

Chris

 

[tkwinston4]

I don't think this was threatening the ladies, but the bees were treating it with suspicion.

a common lizard, I believe, although I have never seen one in wiltshire before... taken last week.

Photo didn't work?

 

[Andy Duff]

You get about six of those to a kebab in Thailand.....

And they taste very nice too, mind you, the sauce is to say the least a "tad" volcanic

 

[garlicpickle]

I have a pet mantis, but normally she gets fed on moths and bluebottles

 

[peteinwilts]

Photo didn't work?

I see it!?!

 

[tkwinston4]

I see it!?!

Just me then :-(

 

[rockdoc]

No, me too!

 

[arl]

and me

 

[peteinwilts]

...but I don't see it in Firefox. Only IE

 

[Ely]

That's the female mantis. They eat the smaller male after mating. I'm glad I only have to wash the dishes...

 

[Luminos]

Pedantically speaking, it's a Praying Mantis

 

[Chris Luck]

Quite so, or even Mante religieuse.

Female exuding egg sack.

Chris

 

[Chris Luck]

This time on another hive it was a green one.

Chris

 

[busybee53]

Wow. Not see any preying mantis's here in London but I did once have a lizard under the hive. Apparently a protected species.

Re scorpions in Dover I found one on the beach at Isle of Sheppey which is nearby. It was about 12 years ago. It was about the size of the top part of my little finger and was black. Did not find out if it was poisonous but it's tail was arched over it's back which I read somewhere is how to tell the poisonous ones.

Are we supposed to have scorpions in England?