Woman Finds Tons of Bugs Hiding in Christmas Ornaments

If you're getting ready to decorate your home for the holidays, you may want to check and make sure there aren't any unwanted guests lurking around in them.

That's something a TikToker named Em (@empease7) learned the hard way.

In a viral TikTok that's accrued over 410,000 views on the popular social media application, she documented a scene that looked like some kind of twisted party piñata scenario. But instead of candy, she was met with a bunch of bugs.

"All right, when I got my ornaments out of storage today, I noticed that a bunch had this weird rattle sound."

At this point in the video, she holds up one of the Christmas ornaments in question and shakes it in front of the camera.

The TikToker then continued, "And as somebody whose interest is constantly being piqued by red flags I had to know what was inside."

It's a discovery that she probably regrets making after finding out what was being held inside the festive trinkets.

Next, she records herself holding up what looks like a broomstick to the ornament, which rested on a wooden plank on the floor. "So, I did the sensible thing. I grabbed a stick, I whacked it and oh, my gosh."

After the ornament cracked open, throngs of wriggling, small, black bugs begin crawling about the floor. "Look at the ants that were coming out of this thing. It was terrifying."

Upon the destruction of their holiday domicile, Em began smashing the insects with her stick repeatedly. Appended to her video, in a caption, the TikToker urged folks who are taking their ornaments out of storage to ensure that they aren't infested with bugs.

"PSA: If you stored ornaments in a cardboard box, give them a good shake outside before decorating inside."

Furthermore, you might want to take whatever box you have of items outdoors, just in case you don't want a large insect-ridden mess forming in the nooks and crannies of your home.

There are a few things to consider that may explain how so many bugs we able to gather inside of Em's belongings. The first thing she mentions is that the ornaments were stored in a cardboard box.

Although this is a popular material for shipping and packaging, and due to the massive increase in just how many people are utilizing delivery services these days, we probably have our fair share of cardboard just lying around, begging to be used.

According to numerous sources, like the pest fighting company Prohealth Pest Control, cardboard boxes do attract bugs. That's because at its core, cardboard is derived from cellulose. The business writes that "many pests find [cardboard] appetizing."

"Silverfish, cockroaches, and termites," are drawn to this material. "These pests can chew through cardboard, causing damage to both the boxes and the items stored inside," the company wrote on its website.

Although Em refers to the insects that came out of the ornament as "ants," they could very well be termites. The Spruce dedicated a post to describing the differences between the two types of bugs.

They write that while they do share some similarities, there are ways to tell the differences between the two. While some ants do indeed have wings, so do termites. Termites also have shorter, braided antenna, while ants have "bent or elbowed" ones jutting out the top of their heads.

The wings of termites are also much longer than their bodies, and they also have a much more voracious appetite, according to the outlet. "Termites cause damage to homes faster than carpenter ants, creating significant damage within two to four years. Damage from carpenter ants can take many years and is usually easier to detect as these ants hang around areas with moisture and can be seen scurrying around."

Both carpenter ants and termites can cause damage to your home. Or cardboard boxes you have lying around. Like most bugs, they're going to look to retreat to small, enclosed places when they aren't feasting. So it's no wonder that they managed to wriggle through the little holes in the ornaments that Em had lying around.

So if you're planning on busting out decorations for the holidays and you're storing them in a cardboard box, rather than a sealed plastic one, maybe go outside and give them a good shake. Keeping a can of insect-killing spray on hand in case you're met with any surprises may be a good idea, too.