Joanna Gaines Jokes About 'New Pet' But Fans Freak Out When They Realize What It Is

Joanna Gaines was just doing her animal lover thing when she posted a video of a praying mantis and was suddenly flooded with safety warnings from fans.

It all kicked off when Gaines, 46, shared a short clip on Instagram of the tiny insect chilling inside her home . In the video, you see the mantis hanging out on her hand in what seems to be her kitchen . Then it cuts to the mantis crawling up a wall before Joanna sets it free in a bush outside.

“Found a new friend in the house today. I did think about making a tiny leash so he could be my new pet… I think he misses me,” the Fixer Upper star captioned the Tuesday, September 10 post, with Louis Armstrong’s “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” as the soundtrack.

Not everyone was feeling the mantis love, though. Fans quickly started dropping comments with warnings about the insect , even though it looked pretty harmless.

“Just hope it didn’t lay eggs in your house! We had that happen once. The hatch was CRAZY!” one follower said. Another commented, “I had no idea they would bite … but my husband got bit by one a few years ago … he said it was pretty painful!” A third added, “They will go for your nose! Seriously—it’s true—it happened to me by a full sized one—frightening!”

On the flip side, some fans joined the Magnolia founder in celebrating her new visitor and shared their own cute stories about praying mantises, or even suggested names for her new friend. A few folks mentioned that these bugs are actually considered lucky.

“If one comes in your house it is believed to bring you luck and good fortune,” one follower shared. Another wrote: “Good luck! Money coming your way.”

According to pest control experts at Orkin , praying mantises aren’t typically aggressive and will only bite if they feel threatened. Plus, their bites aren’t venomous. When it comes to laying their eggs, they usually do so outside, but sometimes they do use indoor plants if they’re feeling adventurous.

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