Toronto Pest Removal: Make Sure Your Christmas Tree is Ant Free

Toronto Pest Removal: Make Sure Your Christmas Tree is Ant Free

Having a gorgeous, fragrant Christmas tree at the centerpiece of your holiday display is a wonderful thing for most homeowners. When you bring a large tree into your home, there is always the chance that you may have a few hitchhikers, such as ants or other insects. At Truly Nolen, we can help keep your holiday celebrations bug free with our expert carpenter ant control in Toronto. Here are some tips to keep your Christmas tree from bringing unwelcome critters into your home and causing an ant infestation.

Bugs in Christmas Trees

A Christmas tree may host several different types of bugs. Most of the time, the bugs living on a Christmas tree are microscopic and die off once the tree is taken inside and away from other food sources. Common types of bugs that may be found on a Christmas tree include aphids, mites, spiders, adelgids, sawflies, bark beetles and ants. Some bugs may be hibernating inside of the tree’s bark or they could be nesting along the branches. When the tree is brought into a warm home, the hibernating bugs may be ready to come out and look for new food.

Choose the Right Tree

If you want to avoid having a problem with bugs in your home during the holidays, you have to take some steps when picking your Christmas tree. First, take your time when choosing a Christmas tree for the holidays. Choose trees that have already been cut and stored in a home improvement store or a Christmas tree lot instead of going out into the woods and cutting your own. Before selecting your tree, examine the branches and bark for signs of insects. Look for webbing, eggs, bird’s nests or insects on the tree to determine if it may be infested. 

Prevent Problems

After you’ve picked out your tree, make sure the Christmas tree store operator shakes the tree to loosen any fallen needles or potential insects. After you bring it home, you can keep the tree in your garage for a few days before putting it inside your home to see if there are any signs of insects. Place the tree on a white sheet and do a final shake to loosen anything else that may be hiding in the branches before putting it up for display.

Signs of an Infestation

Once your tree is set up and decorated with Christmas lights, bulbs and other adornments, keep a close eye out for signs of ants or other bugs. Keep your tree watered so the needles don’t dry out and become brittle. If there is a problem with ants, you may see signs of activity in and around your tree. The first clue that ants have hitchhiked on your tree is seeing live bugs. They may flock to any type of food source. Ants may also leave behind tiny sawdust material as they nest.

Better Carpenter Ant Control in Toronto

An ant infestation can quickly get out of hand and make your holiday festivities unpleasant. Never spray pesticide or other insect control solutions onto a Christmas tree. This could make the tree flammable and create a serious fire hazard. Instead, get in touch with the experts at ant removal, Truly Nolen. We can work with you to treat and remove ants or other critters so you can get back to enjoying your holidays.

Don’t let carpenter ants or other bugs impact your holidays this year. Protect your home and have a gorgeous Christmas tree with expert carpenter ant control in Toronto from Truly Nolen. Let us help you keep your family healthy, happy and safe this Christmas.