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26th December 2017
02:24pm GMT
The real tree/fake tree debate just got a whole lot more heated, after a lad posted a GROSS warning about real trees to Facebook.
Daniel Reed shared an image of a walnut-like cluster that he found on his Christmas tree, warning that these clusters actually contain 100-200 praying mantis eggs.
One more time for the people in the back.
One hundred to TWO HUNDRED bug eggs.
Daniel wrote:
'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!'
The post obviously struck a nerve with people, as it has racked up more than 75K shares and 3K comments.
So what exactly are praying mantis?
According to The National Geographic, they are named so because of their prominent front legs 'which are bent and held together at an angle that suggests the position of prayer.'
They've got f-f-five eyes and can turn their heads 180 degrees.
They are well camouflaged on the plants they live on, and thus hard to see with the naked eye.
According to the publication, 'females regularly lay hundreds of eggs in a small case, and nymphs hatch looking much like tiny versions of their parents.'
So, yeah, basically not ideal.
If you do spot the little feckers on your tree, you're advised to snip the branch and lay the cluster outside in a bush, away from the ground so that it's protected from the damp.
Upsetting developments.
READ MORE: 11 Classically Irish Rows That Happen To Every Family Over Christmas
