If you were ever on the fence about whether or not you wanted to go to a farm and chop down a Christmas tree or just pull the fake one out of the attic — this might help you make that decision.
It’s all about preference — some people absolutely wouldn’t even consider getting a real tree and others can’t see Christmas any other way.
Think about what comes with real plants though … you have to water them and you have to vacuum constantly AND don’t forget about the bugs …
If you’ve never chopped down your own tree and brought it h0me it probably wouldn’t cross your mind, but you have to make sure living creatures aren’t using your new decor as a home. Since tree bugs go dormant during cold months, you might not notice them at first. But once the tree is inside your warm home, they’ll wake up.
Apparently there could be up to 25,000 bugs in one Christmas tree.
Gross …
Here are a few of the bugs to look out for:
Aphids are little brown and black bugs with six legs. Some of them have wings.
Adelgids produce little white masses that suck sap from spruce needles.
If you spot tiny red specks crawling on your tree, it’s probably scale insects.
Other insects include, bark beetles, psocids, praying mantises, mites and ticks when the weather is weirdly warm outside.
The good news is if you go to a farm, most have mechanical tree shakers to take care of crawling critters. “A mechanical shaker will usually dislodge any potential intruders and eggs, in addition to getting rid of loose pine needles,” Nancy Troyano, a medical entomologist and director of technical education and training for pest control company Rentokil Steritech, told Realtor.
To make sure no unwanted guests made it home with you, it would be wise to double check to make sure you don’t see bird nests, egg masses or actual bugs. It’s also a good idea to leave your tree in the garage out in the garage for 24 hours before you decorate it.
Maybe leave your tree in the garage for 24 hours before decorating — and be sure to vacuum regularly.
Don’t get smart and bring out the bug sprays — they’re often flammable and don’t mix well with Christmas lights.
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