Christmas Crashers

There’s nothing like the smell of an evergreen tree and a cozy wood fire, to get you in the holiday spirit. But when you bring a live or cut Christmas tree indoors, along with the necessary firewood, some of the insects that have called your Christmas tree and yule log, home, might be joining you for the holiday season. The winter holidays are not the time for invasions of pests.

Aphids, bark beetles, bark lice, spiders and, even termites may be homesteading your Christmas tree.   Most of the Christmas trees you pick up from a lot or other

commercial settings are usually inspected and cleaned. The emphasis here is on usually. The greatest threat of home invasion from pests, comes to those who cut down their own trees.

It is a known fact that as soon as a tree is cut from its trunk and brought into someone’s warm home, most hitchhiking critters die from starvation or desiccation (lack of water). It’s also a known fact that some may begin to wander from the tree, or firewood pile, in search of food and water sources and if these are found they may start to set up housekeeping.
Don’t be afraid to purchase a real tree because of the possibility of tiny pests. And don’t forego the warmth and cozy atmosphere of a wood fire either. Control methods are relatively simple and low maintenance. And remember, artificial trees can house pests, too.