That May Not Be a Pine Cone on Your Christmas Tree

You may want to take a second look at your Christmas tree this year and double check any pine cones.

It is actually more like a "walnut-shaped" mass, but however you want to describe it you probably don't want it hanging out in your house all season.

Officials in Erie County, Ohio took to Facebook this week to warn the public about these egg shaped mass that actually contain 100-200 preying mantis eggs.

Yikes.

I can only imagine how many of these were found on Christmas trees throughout Erie County for officials to have to warn the public as a whole.

But they are out there on the trees and the idea of one hatching in my house simply creeps me out.

So I have already triple checked my tree. You may want to take another look at yours too.

Seems the preying mantis can lay up to 400 eggs before winter and hides them of firm branches inside a protective sac that sort of resembles a pine cone.

The sac sticks around all winter and then when things heat up, the case cracks and the baby preying mantis' come pouring out.

And in the comfort of your cozy home, those babies may just think it's spring and come out to play.

But there is no need to panic. If you find an egg in your tree, officials say snip the entire branch and place it somewhere safe outside (like a garden or something).

Mother Nature will take care of the rest come spring.

Definitely don't keep the thing in your house just to "see what happens." These babies will starve and die that way and that is no way to celebrate Christmas.