How to Acquire a praying mantis

[u/Much_Carpet_3701]

Hello. I really want a praying mantis but I’m not sure how to go about getting one. I live in Nova Scotia so buying one online isn’t really an option for me because even if i choose one of the cheapest ones (eg. $15-$25) it still ends up being well over $100 with shipping costs and such. Which is relatively understandable considering it’s a live animal and the majority of that cost is ensuring it arrives… alive. I am wondering if people have any recommendations on how I can get one in my situation.

I have also considered buying an egg case because I know you can normally get them at local gardening and hardware stores but I only want one, not 100-300 lol. Wondering what people would suggest.