In partnership with
Hey there,
The tree is up, the lights are on, there is glitter in places you did not know you had pores.
You step back to admire your masterpiece and notice something on the floor under the branches. Little specks. Maybe moving. Maybe not.
You lean in closer and think:
Please be pine needles. Please be pine needles.
Sometimes they are.
Sometimes they are… tree hitchhikers.
Not a curse. Not a horror movie.
Just tiny bugs that got an accidental upgrade from forest floor to living room.
Meet the bugs that came free with your tree
When you bring home a real Christmas tree, you are not just bringing in wood and needles. You are bringing in a small, temporary ecosystem.
A few of the usual suspects:
Aphids: Tiny, soft-bodied plant suckers that look like dark dots on branches. They are obsessed with tree sap, not you.
Mites: Microscopic spider cousins that hang out on bark and needles. Most are harmless clean-up crew.
Little beetles or gnats: The “background extras” of the forest, just riding along on the tree like a tour bus.
The good news:
They do not want your bed, your hair, or your dog.
They cannot survive long in a dry, heated home.
They are basically confused, mildly offended woodland bugs wondering where the forest went.
Simple ways to enjoy the tree (and keep your calm)
You don’t need to bleach the living room. Just make things a little easier on yourself:
Shake before you move in. Before the tree comes fully inside, give it a good shake outside or in the garage. Tap the trunk, brush the branches. Tree version of wiping your feet at the door.
Create a “tree zone”. Put a sheet, mat, or tree skirt under it so you can see what falls off and clean it in one sweep. Visual boundaries = calmer brain.
Vacuum, don’t nuke. If you spot a few bugs, just vacuum or wipe them up. Harsh sprays add more load to your air and body than a handful of bewildered aphids ever will.
And while you’re down there adjusting the stand, ask yourself:
What did I bring into my life this season that I actually love?
What snuck in with it that I don’t really want—extra stress, extra sugar, extra obligation?
Real trees, like real life, are a little wild and imperfect.
You don’t have to fix that. You just get to choose how much of it lives in your space.
P.S. If you are going to add one new thing this season, make it something that gets you outside and having fun, like TaylorMade’s Qi35 holiday deal:
Save up to $100 on Qi35 This Holiday Season
The holiday season is here and TaylorMade is making it ridiculously easy to score something everyone on your list will actually love.
The Qi35 lineup is built for players who want more speed, more forgiveness, and a whole lot more fun on the course. Right now you can save $100 on Qi35 drivers and $50 on Qi35 fairway woods and rescue clubs.
Whether you’re upgrading your own bag or surprising the golfer in your life, this is the kind of gift that pays off round after round.
Until next time,
Gabi & Bea