Fake Christmas trees safe?

LoyalOrange503 · Dec 7, 2020

Hi, so, I’ve had a fake Christmas tree for a few years now but about 3 months ago I’ve gotten myself a cockatiel. She can be quite explorative and go around the house which sometimes makes things a bit difficult. Right now, she’s really fixated on the tree and will bite the fake “branches”. Someone else pointed out to me on Facebook that the plastic could be toxic for them and since I’ve became kind of paranoid and remove her from the Christmas tree whenever she flies into it.

Am I worrying about nothing?
I think I might be because I caught my cockatiel a few weeks ago, biting the protective material off around my bike’s steeringwheel, and she’s still okay (since I caught her I’ve put a cloth over my bike every day, so she can no longer reach for it).

Anyone else got experience with this? With an extra-adventurous and curious bird during Christmas?

Scott · Dec 7, 2020

Unsure, but I'd assume artificial trees are laden with toxins. Everything from the branches to leaves and quills must be plastic. That means a stew of chemicals potentially toxic when bitten or perhaps even natural "outgassing."

Perhaps others have specifics, but I'd definitely avoid contact between tree and your tiel!

SailBoat · Dec 7, 2020

The vast majority of Christmas Trees and Christmas Trees with lights are manufactured in China! The plastic used to duplicate needles is the same that is used for 'outdoor' carpeting and football fields. The tree structure is commonly steel wire, painted green/brown.

With Manufactured Christmas Trees, you get what you pay for, from the thickness of branches /needles to the number of branches per layer, etc, etc. etc...

The serious issue with manufactured Christmas trees is the required 'bug killer' spray used on the shipping box(s) that it arrives in! The deadly part faced by those individuals that open the shipping containers and unloads them! Rarely will those 'bug killer' agents remain intense after warehousing and shipping to your local retailer.
Timeline: After the current season in January and February orders are placed for the coming Fall arrivals. Shipping commonly begins in early Summer with Port arrival and warehouse shipment completed by September and distribution to Retailers in October and November with Retail Sale in November /December. It would be rare that a Retail Buyer even knowing that the box(s) has been 'bug sprayed' back in early Summer.

The most concerning part of manufactured Christmas trees is the lighting!!! Parrots chewing on the wiring can be a fire source!!! So, always keep you Parrots out of the Christmas Tree, whether 'Real Green' or not!!!

LoyalOrange503 · Dec 8, 2020

SailBoat said:
The vast majority of Christmas Trees and Christmas Trees with lights are manufactured in China! The plastic used to duplicate needles is the same that is used for 'outdoor' carpeting and football fields. The tree structure is commonly steel wire, painted green/brown.

With Manufactured Christmas Trees, you get what you pay for, from the thickness of branches /needles to the number of branches per layer, etc, etc. etc...

The serious issue with manufactured Christmas trees is the required 'bug killer' spray used on the shipping box(s) that it arrives in! The deadly part faced by those individuals that open the shipping containers and unloads them! Rarely will those 'bug killer' agents remain intense after warehousing and shipping to your local retailer.
Timeline: After the current season in January and February orders are placed for the coming Fall arrivals. Shipping commonly begins in early Summer with Port arrival and warehouse shipment completed by September and distribution to Retailers in October and November with Retail Sale in November /December. It would be rare that a Retail Buyer even knowing that the box(s) has been 'bug sprayed' back in early Summer.

The most concerning part of manufactured Christmas trees is the lighting!!! Parrots chewing on the wiring can be a fire source!!! So, always keep you Parrots out of the Christmas Tree, whether 'Real Green' or not!!!

Luckily this tree is a few years old, i got it this year from family.
Yeah, they do come with pre-installed wiring, so i'll make sure to keep an extra eye out for that.
Thank you all!

LaManuka · Dec 8, 2020

Depends on the individual bird really. Neither my cockatiel nor the GCC I had at the time ever even looked at my (artificial) Christmas tree. My mad lorikeet being the way she is however, I know for an absolute FACT that she would be drawn to it like a magnet and would find it totally irresistible, and probably with lethal consequences. Hence we have not put up a tree for 3 Christmases now

Fake Christmas trees safe?

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