The Christmas season is known as the most wonderful time of the year, but you may not think so if you have ants, spiders, beetles, mice, and other pests infesting your home. With so many decorations and food items available, it’s easy to attract insects and rodents. They are looking for food, water, and shelter, so your home and yard may be a good place for them to call home.
But with so much to do as well as guests to entertain, you don’t have time to deal with mice and creepy crawlies. Unless you want to add pest control to your to-do list this Christmas, you’ll need to do your part. Be proactive and avoid pest infestations this holiday season with these great tips.
Store Holiday Decor Appropriately
You may not have given a second thought to your Christmas lights, ornaments, and Santa Claus figurines in the past year, but rodents and spiders might have found them. Be careful when unpacking decor, especially if you use cardboard boxes as storage. If you keep these boxes and other open containers in attics, basements, and garages, you may have unexpected guests living in them. Rodents and insects like to hide and nest in these places, so you may want to open these boxes outdoors before bringing them inside. Nothing ruins a holiday gathering like having to swat spiders and chase mice around the house.
Leave the Christmas Tree Outdoors
No, you don’t have to keep the tree outside forever, but you might want to give it a good 48 hours before bringing it inside. Insects like to hide and lay eggs in trees, especially spiders, mites, aphids, and bark beetles. If you don’t notice them, you’re bound to get an infestation in your tree. While these bugs are not necessarily harmful, they could still cause damage to the tree as well as the rest of the house. Avoid this by shaking your tree and letting it sit in your garage for a couple days.
Look Out for Pantry Pests
It’s not the holidays without Christmas cookies, fudge, and other sweet and savory delights. When you’re baking, be mindful of pests getting into your flour, sugar, and other baking goods. Look for holes in the packaging, which would signal rodents. Moths, weevils, and beetles are common in stored products, but you can keep pests out by putting your pantry goods in clear, tightly sealed, air-tight containers. Also, toss out any foods that have been infested by pests. You don’t want to risk your guests getting food poisoning on Christmas.
Keep Baked Goods Sealed
Making cookies, cakes, and gingerbread houses is a lot of fun, but sugary foods can attract pests. Keep rodents, roaches, ants, and other insects out of your home by properly storing food. Use sealed plastic containers and keep items in the fridge if possible.
Avoid Edible Decorations
Edible decorations such as strings of popcorn and gingerbread houses can be fun to make, but they’re attractive to pests. The scent of the sugars and other smells associated with edible decorations can attract a host of creatures, including fruit flies, ants, roaches, and rodents.
While traditional decorations may not be as much fun, they’re not as attractive to insects and rodents, so you’ll get more peace of mind.
Store Firewood Properly
Firewood can help keep your home toasty when the weather is chilly. It can also serve as shelter for cockroaches, termites, and other pests. Wood supplies pests with moisture and provides them with shelter.
Keep insects out of your home by storing firewood 20 to 30 feet away from your home. This may be inconvenient, but it will be worth it when you don’t have to deal with spiders and other pests.
Place Christmas Lights Away From the Home
This may seem odd. What does placement of lights have to do with pests? You should avoid placing Christmas lights on your home because they attract pests. You may think these pretty lights are innocent enough, but they attract many nocturnal creatures such as moths, beetles, and various types of flies. These pests will try to get into your home, as they are attracted to food and water sources. They can also be destructive and can damage clothing, boxes, and other items in the home.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t decorate your yard with Christmas lights. Just place them away from the house. Consider decorating your trees, fences, and posts instead.
Pack Items in Appropriate Containers
After the holidays, be mindful when it’s time to pack everything away. Look for signs of rodents, such as droppings, nesting materials, chew marks. Mice and rats can spread disease to humans through their urine and feces. Christmas decorations such as paper products, cardboard, and cloth make great nesting materials for rodents.
When storing decorations, consider sealed plastic containers, as they will keep insects and rodents out. Cardboard boxes do nothing to prevent pests and make good nesting spots.
It’s also a good idea to reduce clutter. Mice and other pests love clutter, so tidy up your decorations and storage areas. Get rid of items you no longer use and make sure decorations are organized neatly to make them less attractive to mice looking to nest.
Contact Us Today
The holidays should be about food, gifts, and family togetherness, not fighting pests in your home or yard. Don’t let insects and rodents ruin your Christmas. Instead, send them on their way with help from the team at Stride Pest Control.
Our experienced Austin pest control technicians will safeguard your property so you can focus on more important things, like your family. We offer quick and effective service, so give us a call today. Call (512) 777-1339 (Austin) or (210) 547-8410 (San Antonio) to schedule a free consultation. You can also fill out the online form.
