Warning issued over one disturbing Christmas tree detail that you should throw away immediately if you see it
If you prefer an authentic, forrest-grown Christmas tree over a fake, flat-pack version, experts have this week issued a spine-tingling warning about one particular risk of inviting one into your home.
And let's just say, this one isn't for the weak stomached...
There are several perks involved with picking a real Christmas tree over a fake one.
Advert
They might smell more festive, boasting that delicious oaky pine smell that you actively seek out in the Yankee Candle store.
And they're arguably more aesthetically-pleasing, avoiding the often tacky-looking plastic and paper pins and branches.
As well as leaving painful pine needles all over your gaff, they can also carry with them some creepy-crawly additions.
Being that real ones are planted before being sold to customers, it's likely that they're also home to a number of creatures, particularly insects and bugs.
And even more specifically, it turns out that Christmas trees are actually uber-attractive to praying mantises in particular.
And if you find insects in your tree, what else are you likely to find? Eggs.
With that in mind, if, one day, you're inspecting your tree and you notice a walnut-sized mass hanging off one of the branches or attached to the central trunk, experts are advising that you throw it out immediately, and replace it.
Whilst these masses might be reminiscent of a pine cone - or a pretty mundane-coloured bauble - they're actually sacks that could actually contain 100-200 praying mantis eggs.
Unfortunately, however, these spooky sacks often go undetected, being that they blend in with the colours of the branches and the leaves and people don't realise they've got an insect infestation until it's too late.
The warning comes after one high-profile TikTok star named Lexi Natoli revealed she'd recently spotted one on her own tree.
Showing what a sack looks like, she advised her followers recently: "If you see this on your Christmas tree, get rid of it immediately.
"It might not look like much but this is actually a praying mantis egg sac and they're really commonly found on Christmas trees.
She continues: "When you bring the tree inside, the warmth of your house will cause them to hatch and you will have hundreds of preying mantis' running around your house. So, do yourself a favour and check your tree."
The one positive about these praying mantis sacks? They're rarely ever found in the UK, as one viewer to the video pointed out in the comments, jibing: "This is why we get reusable plastic trees in the UK."
Another joked: "My family [has been] using the same plastic Christmas tree for 10 years LOL."
Recalling their own nightmare, a third continued: "We found this and didn't know what it was. My mum had it in her car from the Christmas tree, I don't know why.
'And one day, thousands of babies were all in the car."
Anyone else feeling itchy?
Rhianna Benson