Real Christmas trees might not totally be a thing of the past, but I would guess fewer and fewer people are spending a bunch of money on something they’re going to toss after a month of enjoyment.

If you’re still holding out, touting the wonderful smell and the experience, here’s something to look out for the next time you’re making a selection.

If you saw something like this while you were stringing your lights or hanging your ornaments, you might dismiss it as an odd pine cone.

If you took a closer look, you’d probably decide it’s not a pine cone, but you also probably wouldn’t worry too much about it – even though you probably should.

Because what it is, is an egg sac full of praying mantises.

Depending on which species, there could be only a few babies waiting to hatch to a few hundred.

Yeah.

Even if you’re someone who loves nature and thinks the hatching would be cool to see, I’m guessing it would ruin Christmas if it happened indoors.

According to Erie County officials, you should clip off the branch ASAP and place the entire thing in the garden so that they can hatch outdoors – and at the correct time.

“Once in your warm house, the baby praying mantis can hatch from its egg and will likely then starve. Scout for mantis eggs before bringing the tree indoors. If you find one, cut off the branch it is attached to and place it in an evergreen outside.”

Just to be clear, the mantis babies (or the adults, for that matter) pose no threat to human beings, and the required actions are to protect them and not you.

All babies are cute, after all, so let them gestate a little longer out in the cold.

They’ll be forever grateful.