For many of us, it just isn’t the holiday season until our homes are fully decorated with garland, tinsel, trees, and lights. However, before you go decking the halls, you should keep an eye out for pests, especially in your greenery.
Ants, rodents, spiders, and insects could be hiding in your storage containers or freshly-cut trees and easily gain access into your home if not thoroughly inspected.
We don’t want pests to ruin your holidays, so we at United Pest Solutions have come up with tips to help keep pests out of your holiday decorations.
What Bugs Live in a Real Christmas Tree?
The types of pests that could live in your Christmas tree will depend on the type of tree it is and where you live. However, common tree pests include:
- Aphids
- Adelgids
- Bark beetles
- Bark lice
- Moths
- Praying mantises
- Psocids
- Spiders
- Sawflies
- Weevils
- Webworms
Even birds nests have been known to show up in a tree or two.
How to Store Your Holiday Decor
- Store your holiday decorations in durable containers with tightly sealed lids that pests cannot chew through, rather than using cardboard boxes or bags.
- When pulling your holiday decorations out from storage, unpack them outside first to inspect them. Look for gnaw marks, spider eggs, and rodent droppings.
- If you’ve just purchased a fresh tree, wreath, or garland, shake them out really well and inspect them for eggs and pests that may be hiding inside. Remember, they’ve been outdoors for quite some time before you purchased them so they can house various pests.
- If you’re bringing firewood inside the home. Brush it and inspect it before bringing it inside, and when storing it, keep it at least 20 feet away from your home and on a raised structure.
When you’re with your family this holiday season, the last thing you should be worried about is a pest infestation. If you’re dealing with pests or are interested in learning how to stay pest-free all-year-round, give United Pest Solutions a call. We’ve been providing safe and environmentally-responsible pest control for over 60 years. From everyone at United Pest, we want you to have a safe and happy holiday!