KristenR Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 :ack2: Its some very very tiny black beetle looking bug. I can't actually see them on the tree but they are all over the floor. Slow moving. Don't seem to fly. Anyone ever hear of this? Can I safely spray the tree with something??? :glare: I'm so grossed out right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trresh Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Is it artificial or real? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Is it a live tree? I sure hope so :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 :w00t: Can you return it? I'd be freaked out too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 We have black carpet beetles around here that sound similar. ( small, black, beetle-ish) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
learningmama Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I don't have any suggestions, but we bought a small juniper bonsai tree that once had small, black, beetle-type bugs that dropped out of it. These bugs all seemed to die soon after they came off the tree. They were all gone within a week. I think we looked up a remedy and it was to "wash" the tree with a very light dish detergent solution and rinse the tree off well (like a good rain storm). In your case this would be impossible work since it is a big tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 Yes, we have a real tree. I suppose I can see if they decrease in numbers.....but uck... I'm grossed out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 This was our first year to get a real tree and I was concerned about that very thing. We left our tree in our garage for at least a week to let any yuckies fall out. DH set it up in the stand and watered it the whole time. We never saw anything and it's been in the house this week without a problem. I've been waiting, though. I can't offer any wisdom as to what the bugs are or what to do, but just wanted to offer the idea of letting it hang out in the garage (if you have one) first. Maybe put it out there now and let all the bugs fall out and then when you don't see them anymore, move it back in. I would also call the place you got the tree and see what they say. Maybe they can tell you how to remedy it. I would guess that you aren't the first person to experience this problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trresh Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I sure hope so :lol: Weird...I edited before your post showed up but it doesn't say that I edited it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Weird...I edited before your post showed up but it doesn't say that I edited it. You can edit once within a couple of minutes and it won't show up as edited. I guess to fix typos without penalty? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trresh Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 We cut our tree down at a Christmas tree farm. It had 2 praying mantis cocoons in it. The lady that checked us out told us to keep them outside and they'll 'hatch' or whatever they do in late spring. She told the kids how the first born eat the second round siblings. My son is stoked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrappyhappymama Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 This happened to us our very first year of marriage with a live tree. We've had an artificial tree for the last 18 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Eek. I hope the buggies go away soon. Not to freak you out more... but I have a friend who had ticks come off of her live tree... So keep an eye out for those, too. (We do artificial now, because I am paranoid about ticks.) If you haven't decorated the tree yet, maybe you can take it outside and do a quick non-toxic bug spray? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Never in my 43 years of having a live tree have I ever had, or heard of a Christmas tree having bugs! I'm curious, do you live in the South? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 In Oregon we had two sets of friends with bugs in their live trees- spiders in one, yellow jackets in the other. :ack2: It is one of the reasons I've insisted on an artificial tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 (edited) Eek. I hope the buggies go away soon. Not to freak you out more... but I have a friend who had ticks come off of her live tree... So keep an eye out for those, too. (We do artificial now, because I am paranoid about ticks.) If you haven't decorated the tree yet, maybe you can take it outside and do a quick non-toxic bug spray? This is what we had to do one time. The bugs didn't start coming out until the tree had been in the stand for a day or so. Fortunately, we hadn't decorated it yet. The bugs looked just like tiny ticks ("seed ticks" dh calls them), but they weren't actually ticks. We had to take the tree outside and spray it with something... I think it was soapy water?? I can't remember because this was years ago. Edited December 13, 2011 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I hope they leave - one way or the other - soon. It must be upsetting. We do artificial due to allergies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 Never in my 43 years of having a live tree have I ever had, or heard of a Christmas tree having bugs! I'm curious, do you live in the South? Yes... Is this a southern thing?!?!? And ticks?? EEEK!! I hadn't thought of that. I wish dh would hurry up and get home from work. This is so not my area of expertise. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 The only bugs we had in our Christmas trees when I was a child were spiders. We have a fake tree, and my kids keep asking for a real one. It does seem a shame to have a fake one in Oregon, but I hate spiders and I don't like dry crumbling trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 I just found this somewhat helpful article.... At least it calmed me over my tick fears. http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2006/nov/072001.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abigail4476 Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 We had this happen once when we bought a real tree. If I recall correctly, they were all dead and gone within a week or two. I didn't put any gifts or anything under the tree and I kept sweeping up dead bugs until they disappeared. I think my husband did some research and found out that they would die quickly and that's how I knew to wait on the gifts--but it's been so long I don't remember exactly. They aren't harmful. Just gross and annoying. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 And this is exactly why I have an artificial tree. :ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 ewww I'd be creeped out too.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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