Year after year, tons of families still opt for real trees around the holidays. And it’s no wonder why! They smell delicious, and picking out your tree (and sometimes even cutting it down yourself) is a fun activity for the whole family. While it’s great to bring some festive nature indoors, sometimes pests can row.

Christmas tree bugs

While you may be picturing a Christmas themed bug right now, the term “Christmas tree bug” actually encompasses several different types of pests that can be located next to your ornaments! Here is a short list of some of the most common mistakes you will find.

Spiders

Spiders are probably the most recognizable pest you will find in your home Christmas tree. They’re there to feast on other bugs that your tree might call too, which is great—but chances are you don’t want the spiders there either.

Pine needle scale

This one is hard. At first glance, it won’t look like bugs at all! Pine needle scale will look like small dots of white paint on your tree’s needles. However, these spots are actually eggs that will soon hatch into little red bugs.

Aphids

You might assume they are ticks at first due to the similarity, but a few things distinguish aphids. They have six legs instead of eight, and are typically larger than ticks. These guys like the sap in your Christmas tree, and can be hard to spot since they’re usually black or brown.

Bark beetles

Much like aphids, these Christmas tree bugs will be hard to spot. They are typically black, brown or red in color and about the size of a grain of rice! The only good news about bark beetles is that while they love wood, they prefer damp wood – meaning your furniture is most likely safe.

Get rid of Christmas tree bugs

Nobody wants bugs for Christmas! It’s best to address your holiday pest problem as soon as possible, but carefully. You should never use an over-the-counter bug spray or insecticide on your Christmas tree. These products are extremely flammable, and even small tree lights can be very dangerous!

In situations like this where you can’t use store bought bug sprays, your vacuum cleaner is your best friend. Vacuum the pests as best you can, immediately empty your vacuum cleaner into a bin and take out the bin immediately. There are also some powders available that can kill pests by drying them out, but it’s easy to overuse and this method takes quite a while.

Call Vulcan Termite

Pests are smart, and can often evade simple home remedies! When bugs and other unwanted guests threaten to ruin your family’s Christmas, it’s time to call in the experts. Vulcan Termite & Pest Control has been serving the Birmingham area since 1965. We know a thing or two about safe and effective pest control! Call us today. We look forward to serving you!