Protect Your Christmas Trees Against Pests
Oh, Christmas tree, oh, Christmas tree—how pest-filled are your branches?
In a famous old Disney Christmas cartoon, chipmunk brothers Chip and Dale are scouring the forest for acorns when they wind up on the very same fir trunk that Mickey Mouse cuts down for his Christmas tree. The only problem for Mickey is that Chip and Dale’s pranks make it nearly impossible to dress his new tree, but when this happens in real life the consequences are far less cartoonish.
This raises a debate almost as old as any holiday tradition—when it comes to trees, which most represents the true spirit of Christmas: real or fake?
A Tough Choice: Real vs. Fake Christmas Trees
There’s a really good case to be made for choosing real trees. Believe it or not, they’re actually quite eco-friendly: it takes about eight times as much energy to produce a fake tree as to grow a real one. Then, of course, there’s that scent you just can’t get out of a can.
Of course, there are also some great arguments for why you should choose an artificial tree. For one, if you keep one for more than eight years the environmental impact becomes less than if you’d chopped down real trees. But even more important than that, with a fake tree you don’t have to worry about Chip and Dale… or any other pests for that matter.
While we can rest assured that the chances of accidentally bringing a chipmunk in with the tree is highly unlikely, the thing we should all be more concerned about are the insects that are almost guaranteed to be introduced into your home with any live tree.
By some estimates, there could be up to 25,000 bugs living in one fresh-cut Christmas tree. These include aphids, beetles, spiders and mites, as well as some lesser-known critters like adelgids, pine needle scales, and sawflies. Once you’ve invited these insects in, you’ll likely need a pest control professional to come kick them out.
That being said, this should not be a reason to stop anyone from celebrating Christmas however they desire. For those that prefer a natural tree in their living room, there is a simple 5-step pest prevention protocol that anyone can easily follow to help minimize their risk of infesting their home. You’ll want to perform each step either outside or in your garage.
Keep it Real… and Pest-free
- Before you even bring your chosen tree home, start with a visual inspection. Look under the branches and around the trunk. If you see a branch with eggs attached, cut it off.
- Shake the tree vigorously to knock out any loose bugs. If you get your tree from a tree farm, they usually have shakers that’ll do this for you.
- Leave the tree in your garage for a few days. The relative warmth of the garage will allow any eggs you didn’t remove to hatch in a place where the insects can fly away.
- Use a vacuum to suck up any bugs or eggs around or on the tree.
- Finally, before bringing it inside, treat the tree with a natural insecticidal powder like diatomaceous earth. Just remember to stay away from aerosols, as the spray produced is usually flammable and not what you want surrounding the tree you’re about to hang electric lights around.
Bonus pest prevention tip: Don’t overwater your tree once it’s inside, as that can also attract pests such as fungus gnats.
Regardless of whether you gather around a real or fake tree, it’s inevitable that pests will make their way inside at times throughout the year.
For those moments that find you wondering, “Oops, how’d that get in here?” check out our Home Protection Plan.
