Gardeners Can Thank God For Praying Mantids

Philadelphia (CBS) - Yow that's a big bug. OK, it's an insect, and seeing a six-inch praying mantis walking by can be a bit of a surprise, but it's a good sign. Praying mantids are carnivorous creatures that eat other insects - free pest control. When you see one in the fall, it's often a female who's likely deposited a sort of tan foam on a branch with her eggs inside. It looks like a little blob of that insulating stuff used to fill voids in a house - and it does protect her eggs over winter.

If you find one of these little egg cases in your garden, just leave it alone. In late spring, lots of little mantids will hatch and gobble up aphids and other critters that attack your plants.

The only downside to big carnivorous bugs like this is that they eat a lot and aren't very picky – so they can also eat good bugs you want in your garden. But overall, praying mantis are helpful and as scary as they look, they won't bother people or bite your head off – as they have been known to do to each other.

Reported By Phran Novelli, KYW Newsradio