As the song says, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s also the busiest time of the year. With holiday preparations, cooking and baking, party planning, and family visiting, there is a lot to do, and no one wants the added stress of ending up with a pest infestation. The following holiday pest prevention tips should help keep this season wonderful for you.
Be Careful In The Kitchen
With all the extra baking that’s done this time of year, it’s all too common for pests to find their way into your home looking for some sustenance. Pantry pests are often brought into our homes right in the bags of flour, sugar, and cereals we buy at the store. Cockroaches, ants, and rodents come inside to gobble up the crumbs and food we leave on the counters, floors, and garbage.
In order to prevent these pests, first inspect all packages at the store before putting them in your cart. If the bag or box has any damage, choose a different one. Upon your return home, put all items in hard plastic or glass containers with tightly fitting lids.
When at home, clean up all spills and messes immediately. Store your food in containers or in the refrigerator instead of on the counter. Wash dishes or put them in the dishwasher as soon as you’re finished with them. Sweep, vacuum, and take out the trash regularly.
Be Careful When Traveling
Bed bugs love to travel and often enter people’s homes on clothing, luggage, and bags. If you’re traveling this holiday season or if you have family or friends visiting, make sure to inspect for bed bugs frequently. If staying in a hotel, check the room for signs of bed bugs before bringing in your luggage. Check it again upon returning home. If people are staying in your home, carefully check the room they stayed in after they leave.
Be Careful Outside
Most pests get into your home from outside. Rodents are masters at exploiting weak spots on your roof or crawling through uncapped chimneys or open vents. Insects find it easy to make their way through tiny gaps, holes, and cracks in your siding or foundation. By carefully inspecting around your home and sealing all of these openings, you’ll make it much more difficult for pests to get inside.
It’s also important to make your yard unattractive to pests. Removing food sources such as open garbage containers and pet food is a good first step.
Eliminate excess moisture and standing water by drying up puddles, cleaning gutters, and filling low spots on your lawn.
Pests like to hide, so keeping your lawn free of clutter and cutting back vegetation so it doesn’t touch your house is a good way to keep them at bay.
What To Do If Holiday Pests Get Into Your Home
If you discover a pest problem in your home, whether it be rodents, cockroaches, bed bugs, or something else, you don’t have time to stress about it, especially at this time of year.
That’s why Prosite is here. We can handle all of your pest problems in an efficient manner, leaving you the time and energy to concentrate on the more important aspects of the holiday season. Give us a call to tell us about your pest problem and learn more about how we can help.