It’s the holiday season! With Christmas just around the corner, images of Christmas trees are likely occupying your mind. Buying a live tree and setting it up in the living room is a holiday tradition – but it might have unintended consequences. If you bring a living tree into your home, it may come equipped with its own society of bugs.
Christmas trees – even farmed ones – grow up in nature, stuck in the ground. Many critters and crawlers are likely to call it home before it makes its way into your living room. When you set up your tree, you might be making way for the bugs, too. There’s no need to panic: these creepy crawlers are not dangerous. Still, it might be unsettling to have uninvited guests roaming around your home. Here are some of the bugs that might come along with your Christmas tree.
Aphids
These little insects are only one eighth of an inch. They are wingless, but their offspring can sometimes develop wings. Since young aphids begin their lifecycles in the springtime, they may be confused by the changing weather conditions when you bring your tree indoors. The warmer climate suggests to the bugs that it is time to be born, which means your home could be full of them in no time.
Mites
These creatures are found on Douglas-fir, white pine, Fraser fir, and spruce trees. You don’t have to worry about them traveling too far; they like to stay on the tree so that they can prey on insect and mite eggs. Like aphids, the heat of your home will trick the mites into coming back to life.
Spiders
No one wants a spider in their home, but you don’t have to worry about safety. The types of spiders that live on Christmas trees feed on the other insects that live there. These spiders are meant to live their lives outdoors, so they will probably die soon after they enter your home. Your biggest stress will be cleaning up tiny corpses and cobwebs.
These critters might live in Christmas trees, but there are ways to buy live trees without bringing additional life forms into your home. Closely inspect the tree before you purchase it. Look for any egg sacs or infestations that might suggest that animals still live there. Once you bring your tree home, let it sit in the garage for a day. The warmer climate will wake the bugs and give them time to vacate before they find themselves in your living room. Finally, give your tree a good shake. This will get rid of your unwanted guests.
Do not spray your tree with pesticides! These are flammable; coupled with your Christmas lights, you will have a disaster on your hands.
When it comes to Christmas, live trees are the way to go. With these tips, you won’t have to worry about sharing your space with creepy crawlers.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
