Fun Fact Friday – Christmas Tree Pests

• Christmas trees can harbor various insects.
• Vigorously shake the tree before bringing it into your home.
• Look out for bird nests, since they may contain parasites such as mites and lice.
• Spruce spider mites appear as tiny red and brown dots when shaken out of Christmas trees.
• Some Christmas tree hitchhikers are Spiders, Cinara Aphids, Bark Beetles, Mites & Psocids (Bark Lice).
• Insects brought into the warmth of a home behave as though spring has come and become active again.
• Cinara Aphids and their eggs are often hidden down inside the lower branches of Christmas trees where they are hard to find.
• The Praying Mantis and Gypsy Moth will lay eggs in Christmas trees. Look for the walnut-sized tan egg masses. If you find any, remove them.