Is Your Christmas Tree as Healthy as It Can Be?
A Christmas tree transforms your home into a magical wonderland. But all this splendor comes at a price. You spend hours stringing lights and putting up decorations. You may even have to move furniture to make room for it. With all the work and love you pour into your Christmas tree, you want it to stay healthy and attractive all season long.
然而，有机会，你不是徒步圣诞树的唯一一个。所有这些装饰品，灯光和金属丝，害虫可能会爬上一整个树枝，铺出鸡蛋和纺纱网！为了让你的树木在整个假期整个假期，学习如何识别常见的圣诞树害虫以及如何防止他们乘坐乘坐房屋。
害虫预防：摇动你的树
The first step in preventing pests from infiltrating your tree and wreaking havoc on your home is taking precautionary measures while your tree is still outdoors. Be sure to vigorously shake your tree before bringing it inside. This will remove not only hidden pests, but also loose pine needles and dirt.
Related:10 Things You Should Know Before You Cut Down Your Own Christmas Tree
Inspect It for Adelgids
The preferred food source for these tiny insects is the sap of conifers like firs and pines—in other words, trees of the Christmas variety. Look for cotton-like wax filaments resembling a dusting of snow on the trunk and branches of your tree.
检查蚜虫
Aphids are common plant pests that can also infest Christmas trees. They’re close in appearance to ticks, but with six legs instead of eight. Aphids can be black, brown, red, or green, and may even have wings! Look for them on the lower boughs of your tree.
Inspect It for Bark Beetles
These pesky beetles create minuscule holes in branches and on the trunk, and they leave sawdust-like debris around the bottom of the tree. Bark beetles can be red, brown, or black, and they’re as small as a grain of rice!
Inspect It for Mites
Yet another tiny pest, mites can cause premature needle drop, and they leave behind small red stains on ornaments, the tree skirt, or carpet. Mites like to cling to trees and prey on the eggs of insects.
Inspect It for Spiders
Like mites, spiders are attracted to Christmas trees for the abundance of tasty insects they offer. Check your tree for their webs, which they use to catch their prey.
Related:How to Get Rid of Spiders
检查Pine针秤
A common pest on pine, pine needle scale can infest your tree and cause needles to fall prematurely. Look on the tree’s needles or branches for the white scabs, or scales, that protect the insect and its eggs. If the egg sacs hatch, you’ll also notice small red bugs.
检查它的psocids
These tiny insects infiltrate trees in search of fungus, mold, pollen, or dead insects to eat. Also known as bark lice, psocids are typically gray or brown in color.
Prune Your Tree
让你的树坐在车库里
在您摇摆之后，为害虫检查，并修剪任何捕食者，将圣诞树放在车库中48小时或更长时间。这将使隐藏的害虫有机会从他们的休眠中唤醒并离开树。一定要清理车库中的任何堕落的害虫。
Sprinkle with Diatomaceous Earth
Once your tree is pest-free, treat it with a pesticide alternative like diatomaceous earth. Sprinkle it generously, let it sit for an hour, then shake off the excess. You can now bring your tree inside, drape it with decorations, and spend weeks admiring it, confident that it won’t fall victim to wayward creepy-crawlies.
Related:圣诞节奇迹：8个简单的修复，所有的树烦恼
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