Tips to Make Your Holiday Merrier
The holiday season is a time for celebration and good cheer all around, but it’s decidedly less merry and bright if you find yourself having to deal with surprise visitors—specifically, pests. A pest problem is a surefire way to spoil the holiday mood, but pests, unfortunately, find the warmth and prospect of food that our homes present in the cool weather to be irresistible. Knowing a few pest control tips can help you make the holidays merrier in the face of unwelcome houseguests.
Keep Your Kitchen Clean
The holidays are when most homeowners use their kitchens the most, continually cooking or baking for the next family get-together, which means there are plenty of opportunities for a spill or some forgotten crumbs to entice pests and ruin the mood. Ants and roaches especially will scent the smallest sticky stain or piece of food left behind and decide to seek it out. Making sure that your kitchen is clean and that any leftovers have been cleared away or tightly sealed up after every meal is essential to keeping your home free from pests during the holidays. Clean the hard to reach places too, such as underneath your refrigerator, inside cabinets, in the gaps between appliances, and inside your oven. You should also prioritize washing the dishes immediately after use. Letting dirty dishes pile up is like leaving a feast in your sink for pests to find.
Make Sure There Are No Hitchhikers in Your Decorations
Pests can be sneaky in how they gain access to your home, but during the holidays you may unknowingly give them a free ride inside through your decorations. Live Christmas trees, wreaths, garlands, and second-hand decorations are the main culprits. If you choose to put up a live tree, make sure you buy it from a reliable location and thoroughly inspect it to ensure no pests or insects are hiding in the branches. Shake it out and comb through it with a flashlight before you ever bring it inside your home. This goes for wreaths, garlands, and any pre-owned decorations, especially if they’ve been placed outside or in storage for a long period.
Use Regular Pest Control Services
The last thing you want on your mind this holiday season is the threat of pests lurking inside your home. Holiday joy is hard to have if your house is being plagued by spiders, rodents, or cockroaches. While tips for do-it-yourself pest prevention are crucial to reducing the risk of pest infestation both during the holidays and after, dealing with full-blown infestations is best left to professionals. If your pest problem persists or worsens during the holidays, contact a pest control service to keep your home free of these unexpected guests for the holidays.
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