The (Gross) Reason You Should Shake Your Christmas Tree Before Bringing It In
Lots of people got their Christmas trees over the weekend, but you might want to let them sit outside for a couple days before bringing them in...
We got a real tree for the first time in a few years and basically picked it, got it bagged, and threw it on the roof of the car in a matter of four minutes. When we got home 10 minutes later, we took it off the roof, carried it into the house and put it in the tree stand. I'm kind of regretting that decision after reading about all the critters that can hide in the branches.
Apparently, a lot of the bugs that may be nesting in your tree are dormant when it's out in the cold. Which means they'll start to wake up once the tree is inside and warm. There could be up to 25,000 bugs living inside your tree when you bring it home. That's insanely gross to think about.
There are four or five different species of bugs that could be making a home in your tree like Aphids (small brown or black bugs with six legs), Bark Beetles (dark brown bugs that make themselves cozy in the tree trunk), and Psocids (small, winged, gray creatures.)
The best way to make sure you aren't bringing any new guests into your house via the tree is to shake it really well before even putting it on your car or having it bagged. Then, unwrap it when you get home, shake it well again, and let it sit in your garage for a day or two in a bucket of water before actually bringing it in. Also, be sure to vacuum really well around your tree fairly often and check it with a flashlight if you suspect there are some creepy crawlies in there.