[YankeeGirl]

I’ll always remember my 2nd grade teacher who made us tippy toe outside to see a praying mantis coming out of a cocoon in the schoolyard. She made a big deal about how it was illegal to kill them because they were protected by law since they ate other bad insects. This was in 1960 something, before the environmental wackos were loose.

She gave me a profound respect for nature.

I do hate bugs, give me a mouse, or even a rat any day. But I will not kill a spider in the house either. That might be a Spanish custom (?) that my mother passed on (bad luck etc...)

[YankeeGirl]

Actually it may have been a cocoon full of the little critters? The details are vague now. But it was a praying mantis! Second grade was a very long time ago.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“This was in 1960 something, before the environmental wackos were loose.”

Rachel Carson was EVIL. ‘Silent Spring,’ my @ss! ;)

http://science.infoshop.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=267&theme=Printer