People have been warned to check any Christmas tree clumps as they could contain something a little unsightly.
While these tree clumps resemble pine cones, be careful, as you may have just stumbled on something else.
Thankfully, one man has shared warning signs of what you need to look out for so that tinsel is the only thing hanging from the tree this year.
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Daniel Reed shared a picture of a huge light brown clump with the caption: “If you happen to see a walnut sized/shaped egg mass, on your Christmas tree, don’t fret, clip the branch and put it in your garden.
“These are 100-200 preying mantis eggs! We had two egg masses on our tree this year. Don’t bring them inside they will hatch and starve!”
Of course, the post sent users into a frenzy, as one person wrote: “Missed one on a tree one year..... left town for four days....returned to babies all over...took hours to get them out.”
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Another said: “If I see this the whole tree is going in the garden! Taking no chances w/ bugs.”
A third commented: “I had one hatch one year after the tree had been in the house for about a week...had thousands of baby praying mantises in every branch tip! They were adorable but had to succumb to the vacuum cleaner!”
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While one user warned: “These mantis are actually VERY invasive. They are native to Asia and eat both bad AND good bugs. They have been seen killing humming birds. While I would never go out of my way to kill a mantis, I wouldn't recommend saving them. They honestly do more harm than good.”
The Trusted Pest Management told people to shake their real Christmas trees outside before placing them inside their homes to avoid a bug infestation.
That way, you don’t have to spend the holidays with any creepy crawlies lingering around.
The Trusted Pest Management also warned people not to use bug spray as most are flammable, which could lead to fatal accidents.
Instead, call a pest control professional right away.
Charisa Bossinakis