Dear Editor,

Permit me to deflate a widely held popular belief. The praying mantis is nowhere protected by state law. It is not endangered.

For far too long, this mistaken notion has bestowed upon the Mantis what amounts to a gold standard status among predatory insects. The mantis is simply a ruthless predator, as bad as it is good.

Now to the main point. Hummingbird watchers need to know that the mantis can be a deadly menace to their hobby. I suggest that those concerned go to a search engine and type in “Mantis killing Hummingbird.” Take a look at the You Tube videos. They’ll see far more than they care to see in support of my point.

The bottom line: a hummers nervous system is so tightly wound that it easily dies of shock if wounded or even terribly frightened. If you see a mantis on or near your station, you better get rid of it in one quick hurry. If it decides to stick around several hummers will hit the ground chewed up and spat out. Those back at the nest won’t get the regurgitated nectar they need to survive.

Jeff Fields

Syracuse, Ohio