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Various people have taken to social media in an attempt to warn users about the potential for insect infestations in Christmas Trees ahead of the festive season. As November draws to a close, more and more members of the public may be tempted to start on their Christmas decorations if they haven’t already. Sourcing a real Christmas tree is often a big staple of many families’ Christmas preparations, with their smell and appearance making them preferable to plastic alternatives for many.

However, a viral social media post is urging households to check their trees to keep out unwanted insects.

The post warns anyone with a real Christmas tree to look for small clumps in the branches which resemble pinecones.

The clumps are actually Praying Mantis sacs, which can contain between 100 and 200 praying mantis eggs.

According to National Geographic, Praying Mantis have an average lifespan of one year in the wild and can grow between 0.4 to 18 inches long.

The young, called nymphs, can disperse immediately and begin looking for food.

As such, allowing them to hatch can result in a nasty infestation that should obviously be avoided.

According to the Mirror, Daniel Reed wrote in the original viral Facebook post: “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 (sic) mantis eggs! We had two egg masses on our tree this year. Don’t bring them inside they will hatch and starve!”

The post has been shared over 185,000 times so far.

Other social media users had problems with the insects, with someone commenting, “… happened to me a few years ago it was crazy, went to my in laws house came back to a bunch of little bugs, found out they were praying mantises.”

While the European Praying Mantis are not considered endangered, it can suffer from habitat changes thanks to industrialisation or agricultural development.

As such, checking any new trees carefully before entering the house is advisable.

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Winter can be a prime time for the insects to enter the house, according to pestnet.com, which states: “Spraying insect repellent around the entrance to your home via doors and windows can help deter these insects from entering in the first place.

“Be especially mindful of praying mantises in your home during the hottest and coldest months of the year, as they will seek shelter from extreme temperatures.

It’s not only individuals who have had problems sourcing their Christmas trees this year.

Trafalgar Square’s Christmas Tree recently hit the headlines after it faced a second year of criticism, with passers-by describing it as “pathetic looking.”

An annual gift from Norway since 1947, the tree will be in place until January 6, 2023.

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