April 28, 2004

Praying Mantis Attack

Snapshots In My Time, Of My Time.....Hauntings.

College-freshman year. 1979

I was minding my own business on the way to class. I had my book sack on my back and was walking under a tree at the door of one of the campus buildings. All of a sudden I felt a slight tap on my left shoulder. I thought it may have been a leaf falling from the tree, but then I felt motion. I looked over and saw a very large, triangular, green, alien head spinning on top of a long slender body. I was under attack. It was a Praying Mantis attack.

I have never liked the mantis but after that day absolute terror of them set in 10 fold. I tried to shake it off my shoulder and nothing happened. In fact, it seemed to grip my sweater tighter to hold its position. Somehow I got the book bag off and began to jump around to try to shake it off. It still would not detach. It began to crawl closer to my neck all the while with that triangular head spinning crazily. I began to scream for someone to help me. There were other students also entering and leaving the building. Noone really stopped. They were all trying to get to the next class.

Still the mantis kept coming. There was no way to get it off. I kept screaming and decided I was going to have to get out of that shirt right there to get that mantis off my body. I had on a button down sweater and jeans. I began to unbutton my sweater or rather rip the bottons off to get out of that shirt. I had my right arm out of the sweater and was about to get out of it all together, to be left standing in the middle of campus in jeans and a bra when a male student stopped and told me to keep still. I could not. I was still jumping around screaming for someone to get it off. He grabbed my left arm and told me not to undress anymore as he would get it off. He did.

He grabbed that mantis and pulled. It would not release. He pulled and pulled and finally he got it off. He threw it on the ground. Well, needless to say I missed class that day. I was too out of it with the mantis fear and horror of it all.

Since that time I have had limited contact with the praying mantis. I see them at times and keep a great distance. I came across this article where a praying mantis caught a humming bird and killed ate it! They are the evil of the insect world.

Last summer I found a manthis in my back garden perched on a trellis. Huge mantis-huge. Well, in the house I go. It is WAR! I get the spray pesticide and spray him down. He would not die. I spray him again and still he would not die. Finally he drops of the trellis and I spray him again. I enter the house to put the spray away and go back outside to check to make sure it is dead or dying. When I got back it was gone.

Spring is here. We must all be on our constant guard to prevent the evils of the praying mantis.

10 comments:

  1. I was recently attacked by a Praying Mantis while trying to move it when it was eating a moth. I have the marks to prove but my friend doesn't believe me....She says their vegans. I don't care what she says I was attacked!!

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  2. I believe you David!

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  3. Thanks for believing me.....My friend thinks I am crazy.....But I know the truth!!!! And now u do to!!!

    David D

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  4. Hello this is David's friend. I think you are both crazy! Praying manitis' are very peaceful and earthy creatures. I had one as a pet for years when I was younger and never once did I get attacked. Attacked by a praying mantis...yea right...and once i woke up and the tooth fairy really did come. PLEASE people!!!

    "S"

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  5. to "S" David's friend. I beg to differ. I used to think as you do.. that they were kind and peaceful until it jumped on me in college. something that strong that would not let my sweater go.....bad news. i th ink the pet you had was just layign in wait for the right time to attack. just look at what it did to that poor humming bird. they are predators at the top of the insect food chain.

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  6. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it ILLEGAL to kill them?

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  7. what the heck are you talking about? illegal to kill them? they are insects! I declare open season on them!

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  8. I totally believe you since one attacked me yesterday. I was cleaning out the garden and I must of disturbed her. I carefully put her on the top of the fence- she turned and tried to bite me. I think they are fascinating so I got a closer look but I obviuosly pissed her off because she ran down the fence and batted at my face with her hooks. I moved in the other direction and she ran the other way after me about to fall off as she leaned and kept batting at me. I left her alone after that. I also was taught long ago that they were protected and it is illegal to kill them but I don't know about now.

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  9. Wow... you're all insane. Especially you, OP. A praying mantis was just sitting in your yard, not bothering you, and you killed it? Overreact much? Do you normally go in your backyard and spray pesticide everywhere when you see an insect?

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  10. I got a attacked by one as well. about a week ago I saw it sitting g in an alley. my boyfriend and I stopped to look at it because it's not something you see every day. it did this wobble back and fourth then proceeded to chase me down an alley.

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