How To Get Bugs Out of Your Christmas Tree
So Christmas is about 6 weeks away, and you might be getting ready to get your tree. We want to make sure nothing from outside gets into your house. This tends to happen a lot with families; they buy a real Christmas tree and are so excited to have it, but about a week after it is up, there are bugs all over your tree and house. Bugs are looking for a warm home to be in so they can last through the winter, but I'm sure you don't want that in your house, so there are several options on how to keep your tree and home bug-free.
First, when you buy the tree, don't bring it in your house immediately. If you have a garage, that might be the best place for it, for at least a day or so. Also, you will want to put the tree on top of a white sheet, which will come in handy later.
After that, leave the Christmas tree in your garage for a few days (two days max). You can also place it in your backyard if you have an umbrella or a covered porch. Then, once you have left the tree for a time, shake the tree for a few minutes (you will probably have to wear gloves for this). This will shake all of the bugs and eggs that have been left there out of your tree and on to the floor or hopefully on your sheet. Once you have shaken the tree, vacuum up all of the insects or eggs around the tree and even throw away the sheet if you want. It is imperative that you get rid of the insects from your garage or the sheet cause bugs like warm temperatures and they can survive the winter in your garage if needed.
After you have shaken all of the eggs and insects from the tree, there is still one more step. You can dust the tree with Diatomaceous Earth, which you can find for under $15. You can also spray it with neem oil to kill any bugs still on the tree. You might want to do this before you bring it inside.
Finally, don't think that just because you have the tree strapped to your car that the bugs will fly off of it on your drive. Some will, but others might latch on. So you will want to make sure that you don't bring your Christmas tree immediately inside because it might cause headaches later or ruin your house. More about it here.