The festive season can be an exciting time of year for many, however it can also be a very stressful one with lots of presents to buy and preparations to complete for the big day.
While many of us are thinking about getting the decorations out, the common debate may arise of do we get a real tree or a fake one? Although freshly cut evergreen trees can look beautiful and make your home smell great, they can also come with unfortunate extra stresses like pine needles all over the floor and thousands of pests living in the tree.
Common Christmas tree pests include:
- Aphids – feed on the sap of trees and resemble ticks and are often found on the lower branches of trees
- Spiders – looking to feed on smaller insects living in the tree
- Mites – resemble tiny red or brown dots and often cause premature needle drop
- Fly’s – cocoons containing fly’s often hatch due to the warmth of being indoors
- Praying mantises – walnut sized eggs may hatch from the warmth of being indoors and can contain up to 400 in each
- Beetles – will usually be red, brown or black and will usually be found in small holes in the tree trunk
A lot of these pests which have nests or lay eggs in common Christmas tree varieties, also may carry many parasites, which can spread diseases.
The good news is there are a number of ways you can reduce the likelihood of finding pests in your Christmas tree. Often many Christmas tree farms have mechanical tree shakers; these help to dislodge any potential inhabitants. Alternatively you can shake the tree yourself.
After shaking your tree it is important you let the tree sit for at least 24 hours before bringing it inside, this way any pests that are in the tree should leave to find food. At this point it is also important that you examine the tree for any visible nests or eggs; if you notice any you can prune the branches to remove them.
Unfortunately in some cases these steps alone may not be enough to prevent unwanted visitors from making their way into your home, where they may then breed or lay eggs. This can be a nightmare to deal with at the best of times, let alone around Christmas.
If you suspect you may have an infestation, luckily you do not have to attempt to deal with it yourself, instead you can contact Holgates Pest Control.
Our experts at Holgates Pest Control are trained and experienced in dealing with any kind of household pests and can offer expert advice to prevent any future return.
Leave your home in the capable hands of our pest control experts and relax and enjoy your Christmas.
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