....So that's why this mantis has hung around for three days! Normally the stems are covered with these orange aphids, but other than this one which instantly disappeared, I haven't seen any. When there is a large infestation, I just spray the stems with soapy water and that instantly gets rid of them.
What kind of soap do you use to spray for aphids? There's an infestation in our neighborhood, and we used some pesticide from the garden store, but I think soapy water could be easier and safer.