Look carefully at the Christmas tree before you decorate it. You might find cocoons on the branches
This year, when choosing a real Christmas tree, keep an eye on it, you might be surprised what may be hiding in its branches.
Are you happy because you found a Christmas tree with pine cones? Take a good look at them.
It might be an ootheca, a mantis egg capsule. It can contain even over 100 eggs of this insect! It may look like a small pine cone, but if you notice one, looking similar to the nut try to take it outside as soon as possible.
We were warned by Daniel Reed from Philadelphia. Only this year he found two this kind of "cones" on his own Christmas tree. To warn others, he shared a picture on Facebook earlier this month and quickly managed to warn many people who are buying live Christmas trees.
What to do with such a cocoon?
Without disturbing the structure of the cocoon take the cut branch with it outside. It's best to leave it on a tree or bush so it can wait until spring. If you won't do this, then the room temperature can accelerate the breeding of larvs, as an effect we can have the invasion of mantis at home!
