Images went viral after a family brought home a Christmas tree that was infested with hundreds of praying mantises.
A family brought home what they thought was the perfect Christmas tree, only to discover it was infested with hundreds of praying mantises.
Images showing an invasion of praying mantises went viral Wednesday. They had just hatched inside the Christmas tree and many were perched on the tree’s needles.
The nest looked like a small pouch. Inside each of them can be as many as 300 praying mantis nymphs.
“They were on the tree branches and they just started running down the tree and across the floor,” another Christmas tree owner, Andrea Coward, tells Inside Edition. “I mean they were just scattering.”
What can you do to avoid bringing unwelcome creatures into your home his holiday season? It is important to inspect the tree you have chosen. If you see anything that looks like a nest, move on. When you do pick a tree, give it a couple of shakes to get rid of any other bugs.
Some farms have a machine that will give the trees a shake.
The people who posted the images of dozens of newborn praying mantises on a Christmas ornament have decided no more real trees for them. The same goes for Coward.
According to the National Christmas Tree Association, in the U.S. between 25 to 30 million real trees are sold every year.
