disturbing it unnecessarily until you’ve had a chance to look at it properly.
Use good lighting and, if you decide to handle it, consider wearing gloves. Carefully inspect the object for signs that it is simply dried plant material.
If it appears to be old décor, you can remove it and either clean it or dispose of it.
The article specifically describes the pictured cluster as harmless decorative material rather than mold, fungus, or an insect nest.
The Lesson: Strange Doesn’t Always Mean Dangerous
Our brains are very good at
