We found out about aphids in Xmas trees today. There were a few dozen on the floor around the tree, and probably thousands in the tree itself. It got bad enough that the tree is undecorated and sitting outside for a good COLD night while the bugs soak up some Sevin pesticide. We will see if tomorrow means a new tree or if this one comes back inside.
I wouldn't bring it back in.
You could have got a bunch of lady bugs.
Or preying mantis. 
they love christmas trees
My wife grew up in houses with constant bug infestations. She refuses to use live trees for Christmas.
I never put 2 and 2 together before now.
And yet my chrome Christmas tree and color wheel arent allowed in the living room....
Sevin is not effective on aphids. You need malathion or orthene , both of which smell godawful.
Hess is spot-on. Purchase a few thousand ladybugs. Release them in your house near the tree. They will eat the aphids. Problem solved!
That's one reason we use a reusable fake tree. Plus, we live adjacent to a national forest, and I prefer my trees live in the boonies.
1988RedT2 said:Hess is spot-on. Purchase a few thousand ladybugs. Release them in your house near the tree. They will eat the aphids. Problem solved!
And then a cat to eat the ladybugs. :) Of course, the cat will then try to climb the tree...
We have had a fake tree for 8 years now. It's starting to drop almost as many needles as a real tree -- might be time to replace it.
Strange, been using real Christmas trees for 20+ years. Never had an issue with one infested with bugs.
My parents told me a stories about before I was born they had a praying mantis nest hatch in their house. They had to bug bomb the house and stay in a hotel for a couple days.
Ironically this year they got a real tree for the first time in probably 35 years.
Festivus poles never have this problem. Just sayin'.
Sine_Qua_Non said:Strange, been using real Christmas trees for 20+ years. Never had an issue with one infested with bugs.
Us either. Our problem was paying a lot of money for a tree that starting dropping needles as soon as it was up. By New Years day it was a fire hazard
We’ve had the same 10$ tree we got at a dollar store our first Christmas together, back in 2004. It’s still hanging on, and by now it’s a tradition!
we buy our tree from a roadside stand about a mile from home, after they've been out in the cold for a good long while.
We always cut a tree down--makes me feel manly. We're far enough north that we don't have to worry about bugs; they're all dead by that time.
Dusterbd13 said:My wife grew up in houses with constant bug infestations. She refuses to use live trees for Christmas.
I never put 2 and 2 together before now.
And yet my chrome Christmas tree and color wheel arent allowed in the living room....
My wife picked up a vintage aluminum tree with rotating base and color wheel a few years ago. It's her pride and joy prominently displayed.
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