How to Keep Pests Away from Your Stored Holiday Decorations

How to Keep Pests Away from Your Stored Holiday Decorations

The holidays are winding up, with many of us getting our decorations out of storage for the season. Hopefully, your storage boxes were able to avoid pests this year! If not, then we have some holiday pest control tips to have better luck next year!

  • Use Plastic Containers: Cardboard boxes are easy for bugs and rodents to chew through, so they aren’t the best method to store items for the year. If you’re in a pinch, you can store smaller cardboard boxes wrapped in a plastic bag.
  • Store Scented Items Separately: Any candles or other holiday-scented items should be stored in their own plastic container since they can draw in pests or rodents.
  • Check for Pests Before Clean Up: Before putting items into boxes, look them over for any hitchhiking pests, especially if they are used outdoors. These items can include garlands, wreaths, and string lights.
  • Dispose of Food Items: Gingerbread houses, popcorn garlands, or any other décor made from edible items will need to be thrown out rather than storing them. It’s better to remake the food-based decorations on a yearly basis.

Another quick tip for when the holidays are over is if you have opted for a real tree,  make sure that you dispose of it quickly, and don’t let it sit on your curb for multiple days. It can become a home for rodents.

If you discover a pest problem after the holidays, then give your local pest control company a call, and they’ll be able to assist you with a customized plan to help rid your home of unwanted guests!

Where Do Rats Hide During the Day?

Where Do Rats Hide During the Day?

Rats are one of the most destructive household pests, chewing through wires, walls, and insulation and contaminating your home with their feces and urine. They also carry some pretty serious diseases, putting both you and your family at risk. These risk factors make identification and rodent control an important part of your household pest control plan.

Rats are mostly nocturnal pests and it is rare for them to come out during the day. Their activity typically begins around dusk. Because rats commonly inhabit areas near humans, it is safer for them to come out after dark when there is less chance of them being caught. They will make an appearance during the daytime if they feel safe enough to do so and especially if food supplies are scarce.

If they aren’t coming around during the day, where are they hiding? Rats prefer to hide in places that are tucked out of the way and that aren’t often disturbed. Outdoors they will hide under piles of debris, under trash piles, in dumpsters and trash cans, in trees, and in sewers. They can also be found under bushes and shrubs, in woodpiles, and in gutters. Inside, rats can be found hiding out in holes, cracks, and crevices; climbing up through drains in bathrooms and kitchens; behind cabinets; behind and under appliances; in air ducts and ventilation systems; in piles of clutter; in storage containers; in hollow walls; and in crawlspaces, attics, garages, and basements.

Seeing a rat during the day can be an indication of a larger rodent infestation. Seeing one rat may not be cause for alarm; seeing more than one or seeing one in conjunction with other signs of rodents can be cause for concern. Some common signs of a rodent infestation include rat droppings, especially in one specific area; chew marks or chewed through wires, food packages, and other household surfaces; nesting material like fabric and paper; and a musty smell.

If you suspect you have a problem with rats or any other rodents, contact your local pest control company who can provide you with a thorough evaluation and an ongoing treatment and prevention plan to keep your home pest free.

 

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Don’t Forget About Winter Pest Control!

Don’t Forget About Winter Pest Control!

Contrary to popular belief, pests don’t just disappear when colder weather sets in. Overwintering pests are those that find a warm place to shelter during the winter, most often inside your home! Some household pests thrive year-round because the warmth, water, and food supply in your home allow them to survive even in the harshest weather conditions. Some common winter pests include rodents, roaches, spiders, and bed bugs. For this reason, it’s important that you don’t forget about winter pest control! Here are a few of our favorite winter pest control tips you can use to make your home pest-free.

  1. Seal cracks and crevices outside your home to keep pests from being able to get in, especially where pipes and utility lines come into the house.
  2. Replace any loose mortar.
  3. Replace weather stripping around doors and windows.
  4. Store firewood at least 20 feet from your home and elevate it if possible.
  5. Keep your home decluttered.
  6. Use plastic storage instead of cardboard when possible.
  7. Eliminate moisture and standing water in and around your home (leaky pipes, clogged drains).
  8. Use door sweeps.
  9. Repair or replace screens on windows and doors.
  10. Use chimney screens.
  11. Ventilate and keep attics, basements, and crawlspaces dry.
  12. Clean up any food and crumbs.
  13. Invest in routine pest control from a professional pest control company.

 

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Benefits to Winter Pest Control

Benefits to Winter Pest Control

You might be thinking that since the weather is cooling down, pests won’t be as active. While that’s the case to some, most pests will be making their way indoors to seek warm shelter. Some homeowners even claim to see more pests in their home once the weather cools down. Here are some of the most common questions about winter pest control.

Which Pests Are Most Active?

Surprisingly, there are some pests that survive throughout the colder months. The main ways they stay alive are through hibernation, migration, and overwintering. Overwintering pests are our main issue in the winter. These are the pests that will migrate indoors instead of to a different part of the region.

Some of the most common pests still seen in the winter are cockroaches, rodents, and termites. Most of the time their activity might slow, but they are still nearby and ready to get back into full gear once the weather warms up.

How Often Should Pest Control Be Done?

The goal of pest control is to keep pests away and prevent infestations. Therefore, quarterly pest control is important. If you miss your regular pest control in the winter, it can create an easy opportunity for pests to get inside.

Winter is the best time for a barrier to be put in place. Some pests including spiders, cockroaches, and rodents can be a bigger issue this time of year, so getting ahead of schedule is key.

If you are ready to set up your winter pest control, give your local pest control company a call and they can help you set up a customized plan to prevent these pests.

Rodent Control Methods For Your Home

Rodent Control Methods For Your Home

Rodents such as mice and rats are one of the most common household pests. While they are definitely nuisance pests, they can also cause property damage to your home, as well as transmit serious diseases to you and your family.

The first step in rodent control is to determine that you have an infestation. Common signs of rodents include droppings near food sources; shredded paper, fabric, and other nesting materials; chewed food packages; holes chewed through walls and floors; and stale smells from hidden areas of your home.

Rodents are attracted to unsealed food containers, pet food and water that’s left out, open bowls of fruit and vegetables, leaky faucets and pipes, open trash cans, and compost containers among other things. They enter your home in search of these things. They get in through holes from the exterior of the home, holes around sink and appliance pipes, cracked foundations, unscreened vents, and holes around windows and doors.

The first step in rodent control for your home is prevention. If you can keep these pests from infesting your home in the first place, you won’t have to get rid of them later. Common rodent control methods you can utilize in your house include:

  • Sealing entry points with metal mesh.
  • Removing those food and water sources they are attracted to.
  • Keeping your house clean.
  • Avoiding the use of ivy or other vines in landscaping (rodents use these to climb onto your home).
  • Keeping compost piles away from the home.
  • Keeping grass mowed short.
  • Keeping a buffer of at least 2 feet between landscaping and buildings.
  • Avoiding the use of birdfeeders.
  • Keeping outdoor grills clean.
  • Keeping firewood elevated and stored away from the home.
  • Using trashcans with lids.
  • Sealing food in containers.
  • Rinsing food and drink containers before throwing them away.
  • Keeping trashcans clean.
  • Avoiding leaving pet food and water out overnight.
  • Keeping stovetops and countertops clean.
  • Keeping your home free of clutter from paper, fabric, and other materials used for nesting.
  • Repairing leaky pipes.
  • Keeping attics and crawlspaces dry.
  • Promoting natural predators (owls, hawks, snakes) around your home.

If you have a problem with rodents or other pests, contact your local pest control company for an evaluation.

 

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