Hundreds of praying mantises infiltrate woman’s home after hitchhiking on Christmas tree

A Virginia woman’s home was overrun by more than a hundred praying mantises after the insects hatched from a brown egg sack that was attached to her Christmas tree that was destined for the curb.

“Bugs,” Molly Kreuze told Springfield’s ABC7 News. “Crawling on the walls, crawling on the ceilings. Just kind of moving.”

With their bulging eyes and bizarrely shaped legs and head, dozens of praying mantises invaded Kreuze’s home after popping out of an egg sack that was underneath one of the tree’s branches.

READ MORE: SWAT negotiator ends Boxing Day standoff by singing ‘White Christmas’ to armed suspect

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“They are fast, they jump,” Kreuze explained.

Kreuze, who happens to be a veterinarian, began collecting the creepy critters with a shoebox and an envelope and storing them in a glass case. She’s been feeding them fruit flies while she tries to find someone who wants to take the creatures home.

https://twitter.com/ABC7TimBarber/status/1081310043671330818

“In my Googling, I discovered people really like praying mantises,” Kreuze told the news station. “They are useful. They eat other bugs. People use them for organic gardening. I hope to find them a home.”

READ MORE: Woman arrested after kids found home alone watching ‘Home Alone’

It’s common for praying mantises to make their way into homes via the Christmas tree route. A quick search on social media shows other families running into the same predicament while inspecting their festive decoration.

As for Kreuze, the vet said she will opt for an artificial tree next holiday season.