JG Pest Control – Are There Pests In Your Christmas Tree?
Christmas will soon be here and for many of us, this means Christmas tree shopping. If you are planning on getting a real Christmas tree this year, there is something you need to consider – pests!
Christmas trees are naturally grown. As we all know, insects, bugs and pests live in trees. They make their nests and homes in them. Some pests will choose a tree as their home to stay in until the weather warms up and spring arrives.
Pests don’t know the difference between a Christmas tree and any other tree so it’s likely they’ll be making a home in your Christmas tree. As the Christmas tree comes into your home and they feel the warmer temperatures, the pests will think it’s spring and start coming out of their homes – into your home!
Your Christmas tree could be full of thousands of insects that are all living in the branches. This can include ants, beetles, spiders, moths and more. While it is lovely to have a stunning Christmas tree from the great outdoors – you need to be careful how much of the great outdoors you bring into your home.
If you’re really concerned about the pests coming into your home from a Christmas tree, you could always get a fake tree. However, if you have your heart set on a real tree, there are ways that you can minimise the risk of a pest infestation in your home this festive season.
Your Christmas tree supplier will likely have sprayed the trees with pesticide. It’s a good idea to choose a Christmas tree from the UK too. We have a lot less bugs, insects and pests living in our trees than Christmas trees from other countries around the earth. Many Christmas tree suppliers will have mechanical tree shakers too. These will work to shake out the bugs before the trees are wrapped.
However, despite all the efforts from the supplier there may still be some bugs in your tree. The best thing you can do is leave the Christmas tree outside for 1 to 2 days. Ideally put it in direct sunlight. This will wake up any pests hiding in your tree and they will crawl away.
Before you take the Christmas tree in your house, shake it vigorously for several minutes. It’s a good idea to brush it through with a broom too or vacuum it if you prefer. There is a double benefit here too. It will rid the trees of any more pests, but it will also get rid of the loose firs on the tree which will reduce the number of firs that fall on your floor as the Christmas tree is taken in and erected.
Finally, give your tree a final check for insects, webs or egg sacks. If you spot any, get rid of them right away and have another look for any pests that may have made them. Do this again when you are decorating your tree.
If you do need our help from any uninvited pests this Christmas then call our team.
