Holiday Pest Prevention: Tips for a Bug-Free Thanksgiving and Christmas

The holiday season makes our houses bright and cheerful with the family’s laughter, guests, and the delightful festive dishes. It isn’t a moment for uninvited guests like pests, it is a moment to make enjoyable memories with your relatives and friends. But it happens that the winter months that come with the dropping of temperatures are also the months when people’s homes are the centers of pest activity hence the insects choose indoors as their hangouts to seek heat, shelter, and a feast. From ants waiting for the Thanksgiving leftovers to clever mice and spiders hiding in the Christmas decorations, these little pests can turn the festive moments into a curse in no time and undetected by the guests. 

This blog will show you simple and effective ways to keep these insects outside of your house from the start and make your home a peaceful and pest-free place for you and your guests. By taking these few steps now you can avoid all the hassle and enjoy safe and quality time with your family and friends.

Inspect Your Home's Exterior

The very first thing to do in the holiday pest prevention plan is to get rid of them at their primary source, which is the exterior of your house. As the temperature drops, mice and various insects find their way into the houses and all they need is a tiny gap to come in. A meticulous checking of the outside of your house can really be effective in stopping the winter infestation of bugs.

Sealing of Cracks and Gaps 

When you look at the exterior of your home, you will find many holes and cracks in the walls, and you will need to apply silicone caulk or any weather-resistant sealant to seal these cracks and gaps, regardless of their size. Even a hole the size of a small coin is large enough for a mouse to get through, so it is crucial that you take steps to ensure your home is pest-free this holiday season.

Vents and Utility Lines

First lookout for where the utility pipes, cables, and dryer vents enter your house. Check if sealing with caulk or expandable foam is used to cover these entry points. Also, do vent screen damage repairs or replacements on the spot so as not to allow mice and larger insects easy access.

Weather Stripping Maintenance

Make a check of the weather stripping around all exterior doors and windows. Confirm they tightly seal when closed. The sealing of cold winds and the stopping of crawling insects from getting into your home come through the replacement of worn or damaged strips.

Shrubs and Branches

Insects can use dense canopy as a bridge and climb up bushes and trees. If you want to stop their natural routes, you have to keep all plants cut down and at least a few feet away from the walls and roof of your house.

Firewood Storage Away From Home 

Spiders, ants, and rodents hide easily in firewood. The wood pile should be stored on a high rack that is at least 20 feet away from the building your foundation is on. To keep the pests from entering your home, you can only bring in the amount of wood that you are going to burn immediately.

Precautions Inside of Home

When inside, the insects are in need of three things, food, water and shelter. You can keep your indoor environment safe during the holiday season by reducing these attractants and checking stuff prior to their thorough infestation of your living quarters.

Wash Up The Kitchen Often

Most of the holiday food waste is fit for the insects. Wipe all surfaces, clean up any messes immediately and don’t let dirty dishes sit in the sink overnight. Dispose of food leftovers in the fridge in tightly sealed containers and take out the garbage every day in order to get rid of food sources.

Decoration Inspection

Before displaying the decorations unpack all the holiday decorations that are in the garage or outside. Signs of nests, feces or real insects check storage boxes, artificial trees, wreaths, and garlands. This is a straightforward measure that can keep the insects or rodents that are inactive, out of your living room.

Store in Closed Plastic Containers

Do not use cardboard boxes to store decorations. Cardboard absorbs moisture and it is easily chewed by rodents. Buy strong plastic containers with tight lids to store your decorations and not to allow easy access of insects in the future seasons.

Care of Live Greenery

It is best to shake live Christmas tree or wreaths before taking them into the house to get off any nesting insects or egg sacs. Always examine wood before bringing it in to have them burned immediately. Reduce natural debris inside the houses where insects may conceal themselves.

Clean Floor Often

Insects don't like clean floors and clean environment. It is suggested to keep your house clean and sweep floors hard also use vacuum on carpets on a daily basis. You can also deep clean areas like under furniture and near the basement, where insects often live or roam.

Preventative Measures

It is not only a matter of cleaning up in your home but also is a long-term habit of making your home undesirable to unwanted guests. These preventive measures will offer a long term cover on future infestations to give peace of mind even after the New Year starts.

Also, pest prevention is not a seasonal activity. Have your home interior and exterior checked regularly all through the year. Closing the small cracks during spring or summer will help avoid them becoming a huge entry point during the cold season.

Control Moisture and Humidity

Pests such as cockroaches and silverfish are flourishing in damp areas. Make sure that the bathrooms, kitchens and crawl spaces are properly ventilated. Repair any leaky pipes or faucets immediately in order to eradicate the essential water sources which serve to attract these moisture seeking insects.

Keep Pet Food Out of the Way

Pet food is a great rodent, ant and cockroach attractant. Keep all the dry food in airtight plastic containers, not in the bag in which it was kept. Always clean up after eating to avoid a ready and convenient source of food.

Think About Professional Maintenance

In case you are in a place that has certain pests or just want to work without distracting, you should consider a preventive maintenance contract with a professional pest control company. Frequent, periodic therapies around your home produce a permanent protective layer.

Train the Family

Make sure that every member of the family takes responsibility for keeping the house clean and tidy. Minor behaviors such as sealing snacks, disposing garbage in the trash and not leaving food in bedrooms will help in a community-wide fight against pests.

Conclusion

Through the above given proactive prevention measures such as sealing cracks on the outdoors to controlling household food sources, you can secure your home and make sure that your thanksgiving and Christmas festivities are happy, harmonious and free of pests altogether. 

If you need professional help to properly secure your home, you can contact NT Bug Busters today and keep your home free from pests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How to prevent bed bugs on holiday?
Before unpacking, look around your hotel room particularly the mattress and headboard. Never leave luggage on the floor and always wash all the clothes in hot water when coming home.

Q. How can we prevent insects?
Close cracks and holes in the foundation, windows and doors of your home. Destroy the sources of food and water by washing up spilled food and storing food in airtight containers.

Q. What month is best for pest control?
No particular month is the best one, year long proactive pest control is the most successful. Pest control is suggested by experts during inactivity of pests like during the colder seasons.

Q. Which of the following helps prevent a pest infestation?
You can prevent Pest infestation by sealing all the entry points like, cracks and voids, also by reducing the sources of food and water and by minimizing clutter.

Q. Can you bring bugs back from a holiday?
Yes, the bed bugs and other pests are known as hitchhikers and they can easily find their way home in your luggage, clothing or other gadgets.