‘Tis the season for picking out a Christmas tree for your home! In addition to looking and smelling great, Christmas trees are quintessential decorations for the holiday season for many families. Unfortunately, a single Christmas tree can be harboring more than 20,000 insects! For as much festive cheer a tree can bring into your home, it can also bring unwanted pest infestations. To prevent an infestation from ruining your holiday spirit, read on to learn Rentokil’s top tips on how to prevent Christmas tree pests.

Types of Christmas Tree Insects

Even though most of the insects inside of Christmas trees are minuscule and not dangerous, no one wants their home invaded by bugs! A few of the most common types of Christmas tree pests include:

Aphids: These tiny sap-sicking insects are often located on the lower branches of evergreen, balsam fir, spruce, Fraser firs, and white fir trees.
Mites: Mites are known to cause needle loss in Douglas fir, white pine, spruce trees, or Fraser firs.
Spiders: In addition to adult spiders, spider egg sacs hidden within Christmas trees may cause an infestation.
Beetles: These wood-boring insects are about the size of a grain of rice. Holes in the branches or trunk of a tree are the biggest indicator of bark beetles.
Praying mantises: Adult praying mantises are green and can grow to be quite large. Egg sacs, which can contain up to 400 eggs, can also be found on trees.

Tips to Prevent Christmas Tree Pests

In order to keep the aforementioned insects out your property this holiday season, there are several ways you can prevent Christmas tree pests. The most important thing you can do is to thoroughly inspect the Christmas tree before purchasing it. Look for signs of pests or damage. From there, request that they vigorously shake out the Christmas tree before bringing it home. Prior to carrying it indoors, leave your tree in the garage for a couple of days. Lastly, use a vacuum to clean up fallen needles and stray bugs you notice.

Controlling Christmas Tree Insects

Nothing ruins the joy of the holiday season like a pest infestation. If you’ve bought an infested Christmas tree, it is recommended to return to the lot from which you bought it for an exchange. If you’re still dealing with pests after removing the infested tree, call the exterminators at Rentokil for more tips on how to prevent Christmas tree pests!