Holiday Pest Protection Tips
The holiday season is a busy time for more than just Santa. We are all juggling shopping for the perfect gifts, decorating our homes, cooking for gatherings, and potentially traveling. The last thing you have on your mind is pesky invaders. Unfortunately, during the winter months pests are looking for a place to take shelter, which means your home is at risk. Around 21 million rodents enter homes each winter. Protect your home from more than just rodents this season by following our holiday pest protection tips.
- Inspect Greenery & Firewood
Thousands of families across the country choose to go the traditional route of purchasing a live tree, wreaths, and garlands. While they may fill your home with an evergreen smell, you may also be welcoming pests such as spiders, mites, and moths in your home. This same concept applies to firewood. As you are bringing in wood to keep your indoor fire burning, ants, termites, and rodents may be lurking inside or underneath piles of logs. Combat pests by inspecting and shaking your greenery and logs. If possible, store wood at least 20 feet from your home.
- Unbox Decorations Carefully
To get in the holiday spirit, we typically start by pulling out holiday decorations that have been placed in storage for nearly a year. As you pull out your boxes tucked in your closets and basement, be on the lookout for pests. A couple of invaders that target dark, warm places to take shelter are spiders and mice. Chewed boxes and holiday lights are direct indicators of a rodent problem.
- Thoroughly Clean After Family Gatherings
Family gatherings typically lead to overindulging in delicious foods and desserts (yum!). Whether you are in charge of the cooking or hosting the gathering, you are probably spending more time in the kitchen. It is important to clean all surfaces and vacuum up crumbs at the end of the night to avoid running into any unwanted pests. When storing your leftovers, place them in airtight containers.
Following these tips should decrease the possibility of encountering pests, but if they do become a nuisance, contact your local experts!
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