When the Christmas tree comes down varies from household to household – some like to remove the tree as soon as the big day is over, while others prefer to extend the holiday feeling well into January by keeping the tree in place.
But whatever your usual Christmas traditions, there is one reason you’ll want to remove the tree right away…
If you spot a brown cluster in the branches of your tree it’s best to get the tree out of the house immediately because it’s a nest of hundreds of praying mantis eggs, called an ootheca.
So before the eggs hatch either snip off the branches that are carrying the ball of eggs or remove the entire tree and take outside. Just make sure when you place the cluster outside it’s off the ground and sheltered.
This creepy warning comes from Facebook user Daniel Reed, who shared a photo of the eggs online.
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…
Posted by Daniel Reed on Sonntag, 10. Dezember 2017
Dr Gavin J Svenson, an expert on the praying mantis, told Cleveland 19: “The warmth would accelerate the time it takes for the egg case to hatch.
“Putting the egg case outside quickly is critical if you want them to survive normally to hatch in the spring. Going from cold to warm and then back to cold can cause problems and reduce their chances of survival.
“The egg cases are susceptible to rot from too much moisture, so placing on the ground or on a surface will not work out for them. Affixing the case to an elevated branch works best.”
The good news is that we’re unlikely to find these clumps in the UK as praying mantis are not native to the country, though imported trees from the US or Europe could be susceptible.
So the best thing to do is to check your Christmas tree over for peace of mind. Then you can keep your tree up for as long as you like.
