Fans Send Joanna Gaines a Warning After She Shares Video From Her Home

Joanna Gaines set off alarm bells in some fans with a video shared on Instagram earlier this week.

On Monday, the Magnolia Network star uploaded a brief clip from her home , which showed a string bean-sized praying mantis hanging out on her hand as she stood in what appeared to be her kitchen. The video then cut to a shot of the insect crawling up the wall inside her living space before she released it into a flowering bush outside.

"Found a new friend in the house today," Gaines explained in the caption of her Sept. 9 upload . "I did think about making a tiny leash so he could be my new pet... I think he misses me 😉#prayingmantis."

All jokes aside, fans were quick to warn the 46-year-old reality TV personality that even though it may have looked cute, praying mantises can bite and, in some cases, cause a whole lot of chaos.

People who claim to have had the unfortunate experience of being bitten–or know someone who has–shared their stories in the comments, admitting it does hurt .

"I had no idea they would bite…but my husband got bit by one a few years ago…he said it was pretty painful!" one Instagram user warned, before a second replied, "happened to my brother too!!!! He said it hurt more than a bee sting!"

"I was weeding my strawberries one year and inadvertently grabbed a praying mantis. Holy cow!! I had no idea they could bite like that," a third confessed. "It stung and throbbed and went numb. I feel bad for their prey. I look very carefully now when weeding and picking my garden. 😉."

While experts say the species is usually pretty timid, if it feels threatened, it can and will bite–yes, that even applies to humans. Though the bites are nonvenomous, they can become irritated and itchy like other insect bites.

Someone else issued an even scarier warning, suggesting Gaines check her house to make sure the visitor didn't lay eggs somewhere, "We had that happen once. The hatch was CRAZY!"

"They'll kill hummingbirds, so keep them away from the feeders, if you have any," a different social media user shared. "They are cool, though. :-)."

Despite the calls to be careful, there were a few fans raving over the green insect's appearance, suggesting spotting one is a sign of good luck and good fortune.

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