Dec 21, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
Florida has a unique climate compared to the rest of the southeast, especially in the winter months. Due to the humidity and active pests this time of year, effectively storing your holiday decorations to prevent a pest infestation can require a bit more strategy. Let’s go over the best ways to store holiday decorations pest-free, year-round!
Moisture-Resistant Containers
Opting for moisture-resistant plastic containers with tight sealing lids makes it easier to create a protective barrier against the damp Florida air. This not only guards your decorations against moisture-related damage, but also helps to deter pests attracted to humid environments.
No More Cardboard
Cardboard is susceptible to moisture damage and is an attractant for certain pests. The material is easy to chew through for cockroaches and silverfish, making it a not-so-great option for storing items year-round. Utilizing plastic storage containers is a great way to discourage pests from taking over your décor.
Throw Away Edible Décor
Items like gingerbread houses or even candy canes should be discarded after the holiday season ends. It’s better to remake or repurchase the food-based decorations yearly.
Use Shelving Units
If you are storing boxes in your basement or garage, utilize a shelving unit to place boxes on. When boxes are stacked on the ground or piled up, they can become ideal hiding spots for pests or rodents. Using shelves will keep these boxes off the ground, limiting the chance for them to become an unwanted pest’s home.
Use these tips to store holiday decorations and preserve the holiday spirit in your Florida home! If you notice more pests than normal in your storage space, contact your local pest control company for a customized pest plan and enjoy a pest-free holiday!
Dec 7, 2023 | Florida Pest Control
As the holiday season approaches, most of us are gearing up to host dinners and celebrations with friends and family. While preparing for your guests, the last thing you want to deal with is a pest infestation! Spiders, roaches, rodents, and more household pests are looking to your home for food, water, and shelter. Before you break out your holiday decorations, check out our pest prevention tips for holiday pest control!
Inspect Your Decorations
If your South Florida home has an attic, basement, or a garage, it’s likely you’re storing your holiday decorations in them. While these areas can be a great way to store items, they are also dark and secluded, making it the perfect place for pests to invade. Pests, like rats and mice, will crawl into your holiday storage boxes you put away last year, destroying and contaminating them!
Before you bring down your holiday decorations, make sure to inspect and unpack them outside of your home. After the holiday season is over, pack certain decorations, like potpourri, foliage, and Indian corn in airtight containers to help prevent a pest infestation next year.
Check Your Trees & Wreaths
If celebrating Christmas, many families tend to buy an authentic Christmas tree and wreath. Unfortunately, these items can carry pests like spiders, moths, mites, and even squirrels! To prevent these pests from hitchhiking their way into your home, inspect both items outside and shake them to ensure they aren’t hiding in them. Likewise, before buying the items, check to see if they contain any droppings, gnawing marks, and other damage before bringing them inside.
Keep Your Home Tidy
Pests love clutter and with extra guests in your home, trash and clutter can add up. It’s important to keep your home tidy and clean as much as possible. After each meal, clean up any crumbs and spills in your dining room and kitchen areas. Don’t forget to take the trash out every night and place it in a trash container with a tightly sealed lid. If you know you will have extra food supplies, look to store them in an air-tight container and place it in your pantry or refrigerator.
Call Your Local Pest Control Company
If you’ve noticed more pests than you’re comfortable with before your guests arrive, consider calling your local South Florida pest control company. These professionals will be able to inspect your home, identify the pest and entry points, and recommend the best pest control and prevention plan to avoid holiday pests in the future!
Dec 21, 2022 | Pest Control
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!
Dec 15, 2021 | Pest Control
The holiday season is a time to enjoy family, eat delicious food, and not worry about pests! Unfortunately, overwintering pests such as spiders, rodents, ants, ticks, and more are looking indoors for food, water, and shelter. During the holiday season, Christmas trees, wreaths, firewood, decorations, and storage boxes provide the ideal opportunity for these pests to hitchhike inside.
Check out our top 3 pest prevention tips for holiday pest control.
Check Your Decorations
Attics, basements, and garages provide perfect storage spaces for our holiday decorations. These areas in your home are dark and secluded, making them the perfect place for pests to invade. Stored decorations provide an undisturbed hiding place for pests such as mice, rats, spiders, and more. These creatures will often crawl into the storage boxes you put away last season, contaminating and destroying your decorations.
To ensure that you do not bring these pests into your main living space, inspect and unpack these items outside first. After the holiday season has ended, pack your decorations like foliage, potpourri, and Indian corn in air-tight containers to help prevent pests for next year.
Check Your Firewood
With colder weather here, many homeowners start utilizing their fireplace, bringing in more firewood from outside. However, it’s crucial to inspect firewood before bringing it inside the home. Pests like spiders, termites, and ants are often found on firewood. Consider placing the firewood outside 20 feet from your home and on a raised platform.
Check Your Christmas Tree & Wreaths
If your family celebrates Christmas, you might opt to buy a real Christmas tree and wreath. While both can showcase the authentic look of Christmas, they also tend to carry pests such as spiders, moths, mites, and even squirrels!
To prevent these unwanted pests from hitchhiking indoors, inspect both items outside and then shake them. Also, check these items for any droppings, gnaw marks, or other damage before bringing them inside.
If you suspect that you have a holiday pest problem, consider reaching out to your local pest control company. These professionals will be able to inspect your home, provide the best pest control plan, and recommend prevention techniques for your home.
Nov 17, 2021 | Bed Bug
With the long-awaited holiday season approaching, many of us plan to travel and visit friends and family. Unfortunately, bed bugs are notorious for hitchhiking their way into hotel rooms, rented houses, family houses, and college dorms. Check out our top tips for preventing bed bugs before you travel this holiday season.
Inspecting Your Room
Before bringing your luggage into the room you are staying in, check thoroughly for signs of bed bugs. It’s more common for hotels to have issues with bed bugs, so it’s important to check each room. Inspect all furniture such as sofa cushions, chairs, and around mattresses corners. One sign of a bed bug infestation is seeing small, dark-colored stains on bedding and the skin shells they’ve shed.
If you suspect a bed bug infestation, ask to be moved or consider another place to stay.
Unpacking Luggage
Bed bugs are small and nocturnal, often allowing them to go unnoticed. Even after inspecting your room without finding any signs of bed bugs, continue to be cautious when unpacking your clothes. It’s recommended that you use the luggage racks instead of placing bags and suitcases on furniture or tables.
Returning Home
Once you have returned home, don’t bring the luggage and bags you traveled with inside. Instead, unpack your items outside the home and thoroughly inspect them. After inspecting your items, wash all your clothes immediately, making sure to run them through a high-heat dryer cycle, as bed bugs cannot withstand high temperatures.
After you have unpacked and washed your clothes, store your suitcases in your garage or storage closet. To be extra cautious, you can also seal your luggage in large, plastic storage bags before bringing them inside.
If you suspect a bed bug infestation in your home, it’s best to contact a professional bed bug control company to assess the situation. A trained professional can help determine the best plan of action, treatment, and prevention plan for your home.
