Is that a fake Christmas tree? No judgment here!

The age-old debate continues every year: Do we get a real tree again or finally get that artificial Christmas tree? While your mileage may vary, there are pros and cons to each and depending on your individual situation, the answer may not always be as easy as you think!

Many factors go into the Christmas tree selection:

• Married v. single 
• Kids v. no kids 
• Pets 
• Tradition 
• Cost 
• Maintenance 
• Storage 
• Ease 
• Flexibility 
• Lighting options 
• Patience level 

While there are multiple factors which include, but are not limited to the list above, overall, it’s worth noting that according to polls from The Washington Post and ABC News, nearly 60 percent of Americans set up fake trees each year. Without getting wrapped around the axle on each of the factors here, we can focus on the pros and cons accordingly:

Real Tree Pros:
Despite our childhood fantasies, few Christmas trees come from the forest anymore. Nearly all Christmas trees are grown at a farm or plantation across all 50 states – making them easy to find locally. Buying real Christmas trees helps support local famers through their sale, mulching and repurposing within the environment.

Real Tree Cons:
Real Christmas trees can have pest problems and are usually grown with the use of pesticides that are toxic to wildlife and in some cases, people. The EPA has banned indoor use of some of these pesticides which can cause damage to the human nervous system.

Fake Tree Pros:
Cheap. Reusable. Convenient. That’s about it!

Fake Tree Cons:
Fake Christmas trees are made from PVC. When PVC is produced, there is a toxic chemical released into the environment. PVC also contains hormone-disrupting plastic softeners and can be found to contain lead. Maybe you want that in your living room – maybe you don’t. At the end of the road, a fake Christmas tree can’t be recycled – it merely takes up space in a landfill. Forever.

Still not decided? No worries just yet as there’s no single, right answer. No judgment – honestly ;)

What Insects And Animals Could Be Hibernating In Your Tree This Winter?

As the weather gets colder, you might be wondering what happened to all the critters and bugs that recently frequented your yard. Turns out, once late October rolls around, many of these animals go into hibernation for the winter months. Hibernation is when the animal goes into a very deep sleep, its body temperature drops and its breathing slows down. The animal uses very little energy.

Some animals that are well known to hibernate are bears and bats. However, did you know there are animals right in your very own neighborhood that go into hibernation? These animals include skunks, chipmunks, bees, box turtles, groundhogs, and snakes.

Wondering which animals could be using your trees as a place for winter hibernation? Here’s a list of animals that could be

Bees

When the temperature drops, males and worker bees die off but the queen survives by hibernating. She hibernates in a hole in the soil, in rotten tree stumps or under leaf litter. She will emerge anywhere from 6-8 months later, warm-up and then find a nice spot to build a nest and create a whole new team of bees.

Some Species of Bats

While most bats hibernate in mines and caves, there are some species that hibernate in trees, such as the Eastern red bat, Northern yellow bat, Seminole bat, and silver-haired bat.

Many Different Types of Insects

Many insects hibernate in the holes of trees. Beetles are a well-known example, and are sometimes seen in great numbers in the fall as they congregate at high elevations. Many large wasps seek shelter in the eaves and attics of houses or barns. The Mourning Cloak butterfly is usually the first insect that is noticed in the spring, and this is because it hibernates in tree holes or other shelters during the winter.

Need help with maintaining your trees this season? UnLIMBited is central Maryland’s professional tree maintenance team that provides free estimates, tree removal and takedowns, trimming and pruning, stump removal and grinding, storm damage clean-up, lot clearing, insurance work, Bobcat service, premium firewood and more. Give them a call at (443) 517-6881.

UnLIMBited | Science Behind the Leaves

We Marylanders love our seasons. Maryland is notorious for Indian summers, with warm temperatures lasting well into what should be the cooler months of September and October. But fall is finally here: formerly lush, green foliage is starting to turn into the crisp, bright yellows, oranges, and reds indicative of autumn.

Though it may seem a bit like magic, the changing of the seasons is actually an evolution that happens every year. It’s not just bears that ready themselves for the winter; trees and plants go through the progression, too. When it’s warm outside, plants take sunlight from the sky, water from the ground, and carbon dioxide from the air and create oxygen and glucose, a process called photosynthesis. Additionally, a naturally occurring chemical, chlorophyll, is what provides the trees and plants their beautiful green colors and aids in making photosynthesis happen. The glucose created during the process becomes food, and the oxygen is emitted into the air, helping to create a clean and healthy environment in which we breathe a little easier.

 During the colder months, there isn’t enough light for photosynthesis to occur and trees begin to rest, similar to a bear’s “hibernation mode.” The chlorophyll starts to disappear from leaves, and this is when we start to see the different colors emerge from the leaves as they dry up and fall, allowing the trees to reserve their energy for what may be a long and dark winter. Every year, we rediscover the beauty of this process, as we watch purples and reds and yellows reveal themselves among the Maryland landscape.

The coming winter marks a time when trees that previously flourished may become weakened by weather or age. Now may be easier to assess the state of your surroundings due to the lack of leaves on tree limbs. UnLIMBited’s tree experts are well versed in this seasonal process, and can help you make the best decisions for when to schedule and safely perform work on your yard and property, accounting not only for aesthetics but the life-cycle of your trees, plants, and overall environment.

We hope you enjoy the splendor of the season. During fall, winter, or again into the coming year, contact us for more details on our tree care service and maintenance.