The most random thing you can buy from Costco is...

[photon]

...a praying mantis:

http://www.costco.ca/Browse/Product....1&topnav=&s=1#

An excellent general predator! Praying mantis consumes aphids, beetles, flies, mosquitos, moths, caterpillars and any insect they can catch. Praying mantis, an insect with an innate killer attitude, is a great garden predator. One egg case hatches many tiny babies that quickly disperse throughout your garden. Your egg case contains approximately 40 to 400 eggs.

Mating occurs in early fall and another egg case will be laid that will hatch the following summer. The egg case is laid as a foam that hardens into a spongy almost indestructible mass, usually laid attached to a shrub, weed, grass, etc., a few feet off the ground. The egg mass survives freezing, thawing, rain and all the elements to hatch in the early summer to start the cycle again.

[Tron_fdc]

So.....are these things native to Calgary (if you can get them here)? Because the last thing we need is a swarm of genetically engineered preying Mantis' roaming the streets killing puppies and stealing chickens. We have enough of those down by the Willie.

[icarus]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

So.....are these things native to Calgary (if you can get them here)? Because the last thing we need is a swarm of genetically engineered preying Mantis' roaming the streets killing puppies and stealing chickens. We have enough of those down by the Willie.

They come from South Carolina and the North USA, says the link. I agree, introducing non-native species to eat other species has time and again proven to be a flimsy strategy at best.

[burn_this_city]

They are a non native species to North America. The chinese mantids were introduced a long time ago. They're oothocai (eggs) dont survive the winters out west so they would be fine to release here.. They make wicked pets too.. Mine just died last weekend after 2 years.. RIP Stephen, my trusty PM.

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

They are a non native species to North America. The chinese mantids were introduced a long time ago. They're oothocai (eggs) dont survive the winters out west so they would be fine to release here.. They make wicked pets too.. Mine just died last weekend after 2 years.. RIP Stephen, my trusty PM.

Where did you keep him? In a cage? Did you let him wander the house? What did you feed him?

That's just about the strangest pet I've ever heard of.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

Where did you keep him? In a cage? Did you let him wander the house? What did you feed him?

That's just about the strangest pet I've ever heard of.

In a critter keeper, they are super tame.. Once they hit adulthood they have wings but mine only flew once, from my hand to my back. I just fed mine crickets, he ate them like lil corn on the cob. He was tame enough that he could have probably been left out.. About 6 months ago I was feeding him and I got distracted, left the lid off his cage over night and he never even escaped.

[burn_this_city]

You can buy these guys from Pisces for $25..

[TrendyDoppelganger]

you can buy a grand piano at costco, or a car...
i wonder if their return everything policy works with those.

[NSFL]

Originally Posted by TrendyDoppelganger

you can buy a grand piano at costco, or a car...
i wonder if their return everything policy works with those.

There's a return everything policy? I wonder if you can eat half an apple and then return the other half for a refund.

[PYroMaNiaC]

Originally Posted by NSFL

There's a return everything policy? I wonder if you can eat half an apple and then return the other half for a refund.

Yes, provided that the apple is bad. Any good grocer backs their produce.

[Daradon]

I don't think the mantis' (manti?) would survive outside during winter. They are found in much warmer climes. If you have them as a pet, obviously you have them in an aquarium.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by NSFL

There's a return everything policy? I wonder if you can eat half an apple and then return the other half for a refund.

Yup I've returned milk that went bad way too soon (through no fault of my own) Not at Costco though.

Grocery stores are usually very good at having stuff returned.

[arloiginla]

Originally Posted by NSFL

There's a return everything policy? I wonder if you can eat half an apple and then return the other half for a refund.

Did that with one of those health-food energy bars. Bought a small package, ate about 2/3rds of one, brought it back said it tasted horrible...they took them all back.

[Ro]

How about this puppy from the US site:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/ProductSet.aspx?Prodid=11241338&whse=BC&Ne=4000000 &eCat=BC|108|49547&N=4014226&Mo=53&No=0&Nr=P_Catal ogName:BC&cat=49547&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang =en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

Random if you're Bill Gates, maybe.

This is pretty awesome too. Check the fluid ounces:

http://www.costco.ca/Browse/Product....A&Sp=C&topnav=

[Daradon]

^^^ Lol valued at 361,000.00 but yours for only 259,999.99

I'm not sure someone spending THAT much on jewelry would A: want to get it from Costco or B: be worried about a sale price. (especially that last penny)

[ricosuave]

I always thought that these generator sets were a bit over the top...

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...=1&topnav=&s=1

[NSFL]

Really? You can return half eaten food? I never knew that.

[arloiginla]

Originally Posted by NSFL

Really? You can return half eaten food? I never knew that.

Costco seems to be more loose on their return policy than most. You can pretty much give a horrible reason for returning something you practically used up and they don't even ask questions.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by ricosuave

I always thought that these generator sets were a bit over the top...

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...=1&topnav=&s=1

I'm a little scared that as soon as I saw this I actually began coming up with a justification for it at some point! I think I'll stick to solar...

[NSFL]

Originally Posted by arloiginla

Costco seems to be more loose on their return policy than most. You can pretty much give a horrible reason for returning something you practically used up and they don't even ask questions.

It's probably because of the membership fee.

You know what? I felt bad about returning a block of butter that I didn't realize was unsalted. I didn't know people returned things opened. This is such a revelation. Lol.