If you’re worried about bugs hitching a ride on your Christmas tree this year, you’re not alone! According to Associate Professor Bjarte Jordal at the University Museum of Bergen, your Christmas tree could be home to over 25,000 tiny insects!

The key word here is: tiny. Although the idea of carrying creepy insects inside isn’t exactly a welcome thought, the research conducted by Jordal is also not as serious as it sounds. Read on to find out more about pests that hitch a ride on your Christmas tree!

Common Pests in Christmas Trees

Christmas trees (typically spruce, fir, or pine) are natural homes for many different species of insects, especially pests that feed off of softwood trees. Evergreen trees are also home to a lot of nesting insects during the winter. Here is a brief list of pests commonly found on Christmas trees:

Wood or bark beetles
Praying mantises
Spiders
Weevils
Aphids
Mites
Moths

A lot of these pests are microscopic, and will be invisible at first glance. If you find a lumpy, almost oblong brown sac, you’ve found a praying mantis sac. Be sure to remove the nest–praying mantis sacs have been known to hatch once warmed up inside! Praying mantises feed on insects that harm gardens and shrubs, so we recommend carefully placing the nest outside in another tree or bush.

Are Christmas Tree Bugs Dangerous?

None of these insects poses much of a threat to humans. Poisonous spiders don’t typically live in trees, and most of the other possible insects cannot (or will not) bite humans. One of the only possible dangers is mites: if the tree has an extreme population of mites, or someone has a very sensitive mite allergy, there might be an allergic reaction.

Don’t be alarmed by any wood-boring or bark beetles you find on your Christmas tree; beetles that eat softwood generally don’t go for furniture!

Preventing Bugs From Living in Your Christmas Tree

These pests might not be dangerous, but most people still don’t want them indoors! A really easy way to make sure the bugs don’t hitch a ride inside is to have your tree shaken before you take it home. Most pick-your-own Christmas tree lots have a shaker on the lot, and will shake your tree before netting it for transport.

If the lot doesn’t have a shaker, not to worry–simply put your tree on a white sheet, shake your tree vigorously, and vacuum up any bugs that fall out! It’s that easy.

Professional Pest Services Year-Round

While a lot of pests look to come inside for the winter, the pests that typically live on Christmas trees will actually die inside. The dry and warm conditions of your home aren’t ideal for a lot of species. If you shake your tree and something–unusual–comes out of it, or if you’re concerned that you’ve picked up an infestation, give us a call! At Rentokil, we are committed to protecting our community, and we’d love to help you and your family stay pest-free year-round!