The preying mantis is a skilled predator in the bee yard.
He/she is disguised to look like a twig.
She'll stay completely still until a bee comes within reach.
Then bam! She lunges forward and grabs the bee in less than a second.
Next she'll bite off the bee's head.
That ends any arguing from the bee.
Now she can dine in peace.
Later that day I saw her again.
This time she was fifty feet away at the robbing table where I had put out supers of sticky frames.
This could only be described as an all you can eat bee buffet for this predator.
I must say her abdomen was looking kind of fat.
That's why I think she's female.
She's certainly well fed.
