Across the UK, people are being warned to check their Christmas trees before they put them up this year. But why is this so important? Well, what many people don’t understand is that Christmas trees are often riddled with pests. Many people are catching onto this fact though, and are starting to remove these tree insects before even bringing their Christmas tree into the house. Failure to do so could lead to an insect infestation later down the line.
Why do you get insects in your Christmas tree?
If you’re buying a real Christmas tree this year, then be careful. You see, what you have to realise is that trees are a real magnet for insects. There are many reasons for this. The biggest is that trees provide insects with the ideal place to live and nest.
The type of insects that might live in a Christmas tree, include all of the usual bugs like ants, spiders, beetles, cockroaches, flies and moths. Insects such as these tend to gravitate towards pine trees during winter, because they are evergreen. The tree provides them with shelter and also food. Another reason why you might find insects in pine trees, is because birds build their nests there. These nests attract insects, and the birds themselves also deposit insects into the trees.
How do you remove tree insects from your tree?
To start with, try to leave the tree outside for a few days after purchase. This gives insects a chance to crawl away from the tree. When the tree is no longer rooted, insects often do this. Something else you should do is give your Christmas tree a vigorous shake. This will help to dislodge any remaining bugs.
What’s also important is that you closely inspect the tree with your own eyes. Look for any small clumps of egg sacs that potentially contain hundreds of baby tree insects. You may also want to go over the tree with a vacuum cleaner. Doing this will also help to remove any loose pine needles.
These precautions may sound extreme, but they can help to remove any insects that are living on your tree. That being said, it’s important to keep an eye out for bugs once you’ve brought the tree inside. You really don’t want the 12 pests of Christmas descending upon your festivities!
Be very cautious though. Something you should definitely avoid using on your Christmas tree is insect spray. These sprays are highly flammable and then can be dangerous. For example, if you’re using Christmas lights, the heat from these in combination with flammable products could cause a fire.