Praying Mantis

is it a pet ?

No he's not my pet, but some people keep them as pets. I just put him to work in my tomato patch. He eats all the aphids, caterpillars and basically keeps my tomato plants pest free.

Forgot to ask , do you buy them then introduce to clear up all the pests ?

Gg

No, I did not buy them. They just naturally live in my area of the country/world. Before she dies in the Autumn, the female produces a large egg sack containing over 200 babies and leaves it glued to a tree branch someplace until it hatches the following Spring. They are harmless to us but feed on many insects that we consider to be pests in the garden. They may even catch a mouse. They are very difficult to keep as pets and usually won't live very long in captivity, they need a continuous supply of live food and would rather go out and hunt for it themselves.

I thought with living where the temperatures freeze over winter months (Manhattan) that they would need more warmth to survive, otherwise I would have them in my garden in the UK.

They don't survive the winter here in New York. They all die in October and November. Only the babies in the egg sack survive because they are wrapped in layers of silk. In the Spring the babies hatch and begin the life cycle over again, but many of them will be eaten by birds, etc. I don't know if they would survive in your area. There are many different species living in all different climates around the world. You'll need to speak to an expert in your area. I'd be interested in knowing what you find out.

Can I have some to eat my slugs?!

Yes of course.