Summary: Christmas trees are best when they’re decorated with ornaments and lights, not pests! This blog discusses the 5 most common Christmas tree pests and their destructive habits that lead them to invade these trees. The featured pests are: spiders, adelgids, praying mantises, aphids, and bark beetles. The blog also discusses easy ways to keep your Christmas tree pest-free. Pointe Pest Control provides thorough pest control for local homes and businesses.

Whether your Christmas tree is fresh from the forest or straight out of the 10-year-old box in your garage, it’s a wonderful sight when it’s adorned with ornaments. The tree is usually the centerpiece of a home’s Christmas decor, hence why it’s decorated with the most care. Unfortunately, humans aren’t the only ones who love a good Christmas tree.

Besides your cat who seems to think the tree is a new fort, there are many pests that would love to spend all of their time in your festive tree. Real and artificial trees both run the risk of hiding invasive pests in their fluffy branches. Let’s dive into the annoying habits of 5 pests (those Scrooges!) that seek out and ruin Christmas trees before we get into our prevention tips.

Spiders

Spiders are technically beneficial to us, but that doesn’t mean we want them crawling all over the Christmas tree! Web-building spiders like these trees for the warmth and darkness. They can invade trees on farms, in storage, and on tree lots. Spiders also have plenty of food if there are other pests living in the same tree, so keep an eye out for any eggs and bugs (more on this later).

The spiders that typically hide in Christmas trees are the same ones that like our gardens, so they’re pretty harmless. Just remove webs and squash any arachnids you find, and you’ll be set. When it comes to garden spiders and humans, it’s a mutual preference to stay away from the other party. The dangerous species — black widows and brown recluses — luckily don’t like Christmas trees since they’re not isolated enough.

Adelgids

You might have never heard of this pest, but if you’ve ever dealt with an aphid invasion, you are very familiar with adelgids. They’re essentially the same since they both use their piercing mouthparts to drink the sap straight from the source. Adelgids love sap from any coniferous tree, so the typical Christmas tree species are targeted by these sap-suckers.

The main clue that adelgids are living in a tree are the wax masses (filaments) they create. The filaments are strings of cotton that anchor the adelgids to a branch while they feed. The pests can even wrap their bodies in the wax for additional protection, as it’s much more difficult to peel them off. Both the adelgids and their filaments are harmless, and they only damage Christmas trees when an army of them feed for a long time.

Praying Mantises

Although mantises aren’t dangerous (to humans), their size is enough to make anyone shudder at the thought of them living in the Christmas tree. Praying mantises infamously lay eggs in Christmas trees since the hearty branches and needles provide shelter for their offspring. The walnut-sized mass contains about 400 eggs that hatch in warm weather, such as in a heated home when they’re hidden in the tree!

Praying mantises eat all kinds of pests, which is great news for us. They also eat each other when they don’t have other food, so an invaded Christmas tree won’t always have 400 tiny mantises. It’s easy for praying mantises to blend in with the tree because of their green hue. When you’re preparing to bring your tree inside, make sure the greenery is actually pine needles and not hungry mantises.

Aphids

This might feel like deja vu after our discussion about adelgids, but aphids are a common Christmas tree pest in their own right. They’re usually seen on the lower branches since aphids are weak fliers. They stay on plants and trees for the sake of security and sustenance. But aphids are usually green-colored, so they easily blend in with their desired habitat anyway.

Warm temperatures wake aphids from their winter hibernation, so they may awaken prematurely if they’re on a Christmas tree that’s brought inside. They live on the sap or juice from all kinds of plants. Like adelgids, aphids will damage a Christmas tree if an army of them feeds on the same spots for a long time. The easiest way to rid your tree of aphids? A vacuum cleaner!

Bark Beetles

This pest is the most appropriately-named on our list. Bark beetles are dangerous to every type of tree, though they’re harmless to humans and animals. These beetles are brown or black with a red tint, and they’re about 1/8 of an inch long. We usually see the effects of their diet before we actually spot the destructive pests. Once they’re under the bark, the beetles tunnel further into the tree to munch on the wood tissue. Bark beetles enjoy damaged or freshly-cut wood the most.

These pests are small but mighty in their destruction. Bark beetles eat the wood tissue, so the tree dries out as its food and water intake is disrupted. There are two main signs of a bark beetle invasion. One is sawdust since these beetles invade the tree trunk. The second is excessive sap on the trunk when the tree produces pitch in an effort to drive the bark beetles away. The sole bright spot of a bark beetle invasion is that they can’t live in warm temperatures, so they won’t live indoors!

Underneath The Pest-Free Tree

Your tree, whether it’s real or fake, probably isn’t crawling with pests if you willingly brought it inside your home. But you can never be too careful when it comes to pests, especially in winter when they desperately look for a warm shelter.

The best ways to ensure your Christmas tree doesn’t have pests are:

Inspect it. Both real and artificial trees should be checked before they’re brought into homes. If you’re selecting a live tree, check the branches and trunk for eggs, nests, and bugs. Fake trees should be inspected for the same signs when they’re removed from storage.

Shake it. And we’re not talking about the 2020 TikTok trend that used the song of the same name. Before bringing your tree inside, give it a shake outdoors to remove loose or dead needles and any pests. Most Christmas tree farms have an onsite machine that does this for you.

Leave it out. This one is more optional, but it’s great for peace of mind. Leave your tree (real or fake) in the garage or backyard for a couple of hours. This time allows any sneaky pests to disperse after the tree is moved, but before it’s brought indoors.

Refrain from using insecticides. No matter what kind of tree you have, never use any kind of repellent or insecticide on it. The fumes are harmful indoors, and these types of sprays are extremely flammable. Your tree can still be pest-free without toxic sprays, we promise.

Store it correctly. If your household uses the same fake tree every year, make sure to store it properly once the holidays are over. It should be kept in a secure box or bag that is safe from moisture, pests, and dirt. Do not store it without some kind of protective covering.

Protect Your Tree With Pointe!

Whether your festive tree is real or artificial, Pointe Pest Control is prepared to solve your pest problems as efficiently as possible. Our experienced technicians create a treatment plan that’s customized to solve each pest issue at hand. Pests love hiding in warm houses for the winter, so our long-term solutions ensure that your home is protected against these invasive species. Don’t let your pest concerns keep you from enjoying the wonder of the holiday season. Contact us for more information on our thorough services that keep the pests away for the long run!

Citations

Childs, R. (2011, October). Adelgids. University of Massachusetts Amherst. Available at https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/adelgids (Accessed on November 20, 2024).

Cocchi, F. (2020, December 3). Yes, Christmas tree bugs are real – Here’s how to get rid of them. Pioneer Woman. Available at https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/holidays-celebrations/a32094634/christmas-tree-bugs/ (Accessed November 20, 2024).

Miller, K. (2016, December 13). Aphids are tiny bugs that happen to love living in Christmas trees. Self. Available at https://www.self.com/story/aphids-christmas-trees (Accessed November 20, 2024).

Miller, K. (2022, November 8). How to get rid of common Christmas tree bugs, according to a pest control expert. Prevention. Available at https://www.prevention.com/life/a29401955/christmas-tree-bugs/ (Accessed November 20, 2024).

Skvarla, M.J. (2018, December 14). Insects on real Christmas trees. PennState Extension. Available at https://extension.psu.edu/insects-on-real-christmas-trees (Accessed November 20, 2024).

Weymouth, M. (2022, November 7). 5 bugs that might be hiding in your Christmas tree – And how to check for pests before you bring it inside. Martha Stewart. Available at https://www.marthastewart.com/1532480/christmas-tree-bugs-how-to-get-rid-of-them (Accessed November 20, 2024).