Tis The Season To Avoid Pests

When the winter season upon us, the scent of mouth-watering dishes and desserts leak out of roof vents and windows as delectable meals are prepared. Decorations and lights are pulled from storage boxes that have been stored away in closets, attics or sheds since last year to enhance the holiday experience.

However, most of the items that contribute to making the holiday season a festive time of year, also bring about pest or rodent problems. The delicious food scents coming out of our home attract bugs and rats to the kitchen and leftovers that sit on the table. Although unintended, this is a welcoming invitation to pests.

Ants, spiders, rodents, and all sorts of bugs can hide in storage boxes of holiday decorations. The pests venture out of the storage boxes once in your home. They will find a new place in your home similar to the living condition as the storage boxes: dark and undisturbed. These are perfect conditions for a pest to nest.

Other areas pests can live are in pantry foods like flour, cereal, dry pasta, and spices. These pests are called pantry pests and include insects such as ants, beetles and weevils.

To keep all these pests out of your home, you will need an effective pest control and rodent control plan enforced in your home during the holiday season. Below are some tips to protect your holiday events and guests from pests. Follow the tips to optimise your pest control program and to keep your holiday plans uninterrupted by pests.

• Keep decorations and seasonal items in airtight containers when storing in attics or sheds. Pests or rodents will not be able to get in these containers. Make sure your airtight containers are made of durable materials (non-cardboard) and in a dry area. Also, when you bring them down for the holidays, unpack them outside and inspect all the items for pest infestations.
• Do a thorough inspection of gifts, wreaths, and Christmas trees before you bring them inside. Insects or rats can be living in them.
• All foods including waste food should be stored away in a sealed container. Rubbish bins should be secured by a lid. Clean all areas where food is prepared and consumed. Tables, countertops, pantries, and cabinets should be free from crumbs or liquid spills.
• All the food you bring in from shops should be examined. Damaged packaging or boxes should not be bought from shops. Expired food items should be thrown out in a rubbish bin with a secure lid.

Following these pest management guidelines will reduce your chance of pest infestations tremendously. A regular bi-monthly service & pest-proof service on your home by a professional pest control company can prevent bugs from ever entering your home.

A regular pest control service will treat the inside and the perimeter of your home for bugs. The pesticides will eliminate bugs upon contact. The residue left from the treatment spray will also get rid of the pests.

Article provided by SDA Pest Control