In the interest of bed bug control, you have to be careful what you bring into your home from the outside. Does this extend to Christmas trees? Could those visions of sugarplums dancing in your head be interrupted with painful bed bug bites?

There is a risk of bringing pests into your Kitchener home when you obtain a real Christmas tree. Fortunately, there are things you can do to prevent this.

What Kind of Bugs Do Live in Christmas Trees?

Unfortunately, just because there aren’t bed bugs in your Christmas tree doesn’t mean that there are no bugs in it at all. There are several species of pests that may make their homes in evergreen trees that eventually become Christmas decorations:

• Spiders

• Aphids

• Praying mantis

• Mites

• Bark beetles

The good news is that these bugs are generally not a threat to either people or pets unless someone in your home is allergic to them. The venom of most spiders is too mild to do serious harm to a human, and spiders generally only bite if threatened or handled.

If there are bugs like these in your Christmas tree, you may not notice them right away. They go dormant in cold weather, so they will not be moving and may blend in with the bark or be too tiny to be clearly visible. However, once you bring the tree into the house, the warmth of your central heating revives them, and that is when they make their presence known.

Do Bed Bugs Live in Christmas Trees?

There are pesky bugs that live in evergreen trees that people traditionally use as Christmas decorations. Fortunately, bed bugs are not one of them. Bed bugs prefer to live close to their preferred hosts. There are different species of bed bugs that feed on different animals. The bed bugs that feed on humans try to live as close to them as possible, so they wouldn’t live out in the woods if they could help it. Even if there were bed bugs in Christmas trees, which is unlikely, they probably wouldn’t be the kind that feed on humans.

What Can You Do About Bugs in Your Christmas Tree?

One way that you can avoid bringing in bugs on a Christmas tree is to purchase an artificial tree that can be reused year after year. Both artificial and real Christmas trees have their own strengths and weaknesses, and neither is inherently superior to the other. Some people prefer the look, feel, and smell of a real tree. If this is your preference, there are things you can do to keep bugs out of your tree.

When you have decided on a tree, give it a good shake before purchasing it and bringing it home. This can dislodge any bugs that may be hibernating in its branches. Some tree vendors have machines that will shake the trees for you.

Seeing a large bug, such as a mantis or a spider, on your Christmas tree can be alarming, but you can relocate it outside by scooping it up with a cup or a branch. As for smaller bugs, they will probably die within a few days from lack of food anyway. They will fall off the tree, and you can simply vacuum them up along with any loose needles. 

One thing that you should not do is to try any aerosol pesticide on your Christmas tree. These sprays are flammable, and the combination of the chemicals, the dry tree, and the electric lights could pose a risk of fire.

Call Truly Nolen for Bed Bug Control in Kitchener

While Christmas trees are unlikely to harbor bed bugs, other things that you bring into your home can, such as second-hand clothing or furniture. Contrary to what you may have heard, you don’t have to dispose of all your possessions to get rid of them. Find out more about our bed bug control in Kitchener methods, including our high-pressure misting system, patent pending.