There certainly is something special about the smell of a fresh-cut Christmas tree to put us in the holiday spirit. A fresh Christmas tree brings a sweet, refreshing, and woody scent into our home. But along with that, it can also bring pests! Although most insects that are found in Christmas trees are not dangerous to humans, they can become a nuisance.
Here is a list of commonly found insects to look for:
- Spiders and Mites – Seek for specks of black and red. Commonly found on Douglas fir, white pine, Fraser fir, and spruce trees.
- Aphids – Seek for specks of white (adults are under 1/4 of an inch), black, brown, gray, yellow, light green, and can sometimes appear pink. commonly found in trees like evergreen, balsam fir, white fir trees.
- Adelgids – Seek for specks of white that appear dense and woolly. Commonly found on Douglas fir, pine and spruce.
- Sawfly – Seek for brown cocoons on the needle pines. Commonly found on pine trees
- Pine Needle Scale – Seek for white specks on pine needles and branches. Commonly found on pines, spruce, white fir, Douglas fir, cedar.
- Bark Beetles – Seek for dark brown specks burrowed into the trunk of the tree.
- Praying Mantises – Seek for a light brown cocoon that is fairly large in size as an egg sac can hatch up to 400 tiny mantids.
How to prevent Christmas tree insects
- Shake. Most retailers have a mechanical tree shaker that is used on the tree after purchase. If your retailer does not have a tree shaker, we recommend you give your tree a good shake prior to loading it into your car and again before bringing it into your home
- Inspect. Shine a flashlight into the undersides of branches and the trunk of the tree looking for insects or eggs. If you find anything of concern, we recommend vacuuming it out and emptying the vacuum outside.
- Leave the tree in the garage for a few days before bringing it indoors.
What happens if you find Insects after you’ve brought the tree indoors?
Don’t stress, insects found in live trees only reside in the trees and often do not live off of the tree. Additionally, these insects are non-invasive species and will not do damage to your home. If you find that these insects are difficult to get rid of and need help, feel free to give us a call.
AANTEX Pest Control offers a variety of free inspections and services the entire Bay Area. 1-800-471-5555
