You know what makes the holidays a lot less merry and bright? A whole bunch of bugs. Nothing kills your fun like discovering an infestation. Luckily, infestations on Christmas trees aren't that common, and you can do a lot to minimize bugs before bringing the tree indoors. If you still have a problem after that, you've got options.
Reduce Insects Before You Bring Them Inside
The good news is that most of the bugs that might live on your Christmas tree are adapted to cold fields, not warm homes, so they probably won't set up shop even if they do make it indoors. Plus, according to Penn State's Department of Etymology, you can simply shake the tree outside to dislodge most of the offenders.
If you buy your tree from a retail lot, you can also ask them to use their mechanical tree shaker on it before strapping it to the top and bringing it home.
Remove By Hand or Vacuum
Once the tree is inside, shaking is no good. You can remove any insects or spiders by hand or use a vacuum. There shouldn't be that many, so this method will likely be effective enough to solve your problems. Do not use insect spray. It's flammable, sometimes toxic, and an overall hazard—especially if you have pets or children in your home.
Get Pest Control Help
While the above tips will help, they're not always foolproof. If you discover an insect infestation in your home during the winter months, you should call in the experts. Although this infestation probably didn't stem from your tree, it's still not a good idea to wait until spring if you're overrun now. Inside (where it's warm) bugs won't die off like they normally would outdoors, and your problem could continue for months.
Common pests you might notice include ants, silverfish, cockroaches, ticks, fleas or centipedes, among others. As a side note, while rodents won't ride into your home on the Christmas tree, winter is a common time to notice rodent infestations. In either case, you can get expert help by calling contact us today to set up an appointment or ask questions.
Don't let pests get you down, especially over the holidays – show them the door!
