Sometimes, an insect gets itself into a bind, like this big praying mantis that was found with its leg stuck under the weather seal on the outbuilding garage door. Fortunately, helping hands were ready!
Unlike the smaller mantis that was stalking among the elderberries, this one was considerably larger and in a pretty cranky mood when we saw it and freed it from its strange predicament. These creatures are startlingly quick when they want to be, and this one was not in the mood for socializing after it was liberated.
I like to imagine that perhaps some sort of bug, like a jumping spider, ran under the weather seal and the mantis tried to grab it…but only succeeded in pushing its leg under far enough that it couldn’t retract it. Far-fetched theory? Maybe.
In any case, this mantis was eager to leave our company and continue about its business, quickly disappearing into the bushes. Though the event was surely stressful for the mantis, it provided a valuable opportunity for us to interact...and maybe the mantis understood that we wanted to help, not harm. May it live a long, free, life.