Tent caterpillars eat the leaves of fruit trees, birch and many other trees. Mantids are in the fascinating category and not really as helpful in controlling pests as some garden catalogs proclaim. The young and adult mantids feed on just about any insect they can catch, including many beneficial insects, butterflies and each other. Mantids are nearly useless for pest control in home gardens because their diets are so diverse and they have poor survival rate. Most of the mantids that hatch from an egg case will die from starvation or cannibalism.
Insects have all the elements of a good science fiction movie.
Plus they are in your own backyard and there is no admission fee, but you have to provide the popcorn. Mantids may not be great pest control, but there are many unsung heroes of the bug world helping us out by eating or parasitizing the bad bugs. Some common beneficials are lady bugs, green lacewings, ground beetles, some flies and even some wasps. Reducing pesticide use and using specific pesticides such as Bt for caterpillars. Be sure to identify the problem, analyze the situation or get professional assistance before using any pesticides.