Home for the Holidays
Year after year, tons of families continue to opt for real trees around the holidays. They smell great and going to pick out your tree is a fun family activity. While it’s great to bring a little festive nature indoors, sometimes pests can hitch a ride.
Christmas Tree Bugs. While you might be picturing a Christmas-themed bug right now, the term “Christmas tree bug” encompasses several different types of pests that could be found nestled next to your ornaments! Here’s a brief list of some of the most common bugs you’ll find.
1. Spiders. Spiders are probably the most recognizable pest you’ll find in your Christmas tree. They are there to feast on other bugs that might call your tree home as well, which is great, but odds are you don’t want the spiders there either.
2. Pine Needle Scale. This one’s tricky. At first glance, this won’t look like bugs at all. Pine needle scale will look like little splotches of white paint on your tree’s needles. These splotches are actually eggs that will hatch into little red bugs soon.
3. Aphids. You might assume that these are ticks at first but a couple of things set aphids apart. They have six legs instead of eight and are typically larger than ticks. These guys love the sap inside your Christmas tree and can be hard to spot since they’re usually black or brown.
4. Bark Beetles. Much like aphids, these Christmas tree bugs will be hard to see. They’re typically black, brown, or red in color and around the size of a grain of rice. The only good news about bark beetles is that, while they love wood, they prefer moist wood, meaning your furniture is most likely safe.
Getting Rid of Christmas Tree Bugs. No one wants bugs for Christmas! It’s best to address your holiday pest problem as soon as you can, but carefully. You should never use an over-the-counter bug spray or insecticide on your Christmas tree. These products are extremely flammable, and even small tree lights could be a huge hazard. In situations like these where you can’t use store-bought bug sprays, your vacuum is your best friend. Vacuum up the pests as best you can, immediately emptying your vacuum into a trash can and taking out the trash. Pests are smart, and oftentimes can evade simple home remedies. When bugs and other unwanted guests threaten to ruin your family’s Christmas, it’s time to call in the experts. Vulcan Termite & Pest Control has been serving the Birmingham area since 1965. Visit www.vulcantermite.com or call 205-663-4200 to learn more.
-Vulcan Termite & Pest Control
205-663-4200
