Christmas is nearly here, and for a lot of us that means a trip out to buy the tree. If you have your heart set on a real one this year, there is something worth thinking about first: pests.
Christmas trees are grown outdoors, and as everyone knows, trees are full of insects and bugs that nest and shelter in them. Some pests pick a tree as somewhere to wait out the cold until spring warms things up.
A pest cannot tell the difference between a Christmas tree and any other tree, so there is a fair chance something has made a home in yours. Once the tree comes indoors and the bugs feel the warmth, they assume spring has arrived and start emerging, into your living room rather than the great outdoors.
A single tree can be home to thousands of insects living in the branches: ants, beetles, spiders, moths and more. A real tree brings a lovely bit of the outdoors inside, but it pays to be careful about exactly how much of the outdoors comes with it.
If the thought of that puts you off, an artificial tree sidesteps the problem entirely. But if only a real tree will do, there is plenty you can do to keep the risk down this festive season.
Most suppliers spray their trees with pesticide, and it helps to choose one grown in the UK, since our trees tend to carry far fewer bugs than imports from elsewhere. Many suppliers also run the trees through mechanical shakers to knock the bugs out before wrapping.
Even so, some bugs may survive all of that. The best thing you can do is leave the tree outside for a day or two, ideally in direct sunlight. The warmth wakes any hiding pests and they crawl away on their own.
Before the tree comes inside, shake it hard for several minutes. Brushing it through with a broom or going over it with a vacuum helps too, and there is a bonus: as well as dislodging more pests, it clears loose needles so fewer drop on your floor when you carry it in and set it up.
Finally, give the tree a last check for insects, webs or egg sacs. Remove anything you find straight away, then look again for any pests that might have left them behind. Run the same check once more while you are decorating.
If uninvited pests do crash your Christmas, call our team. We are open every day except Christmas Day, from early until late.