There is never a good time to have an insect infestation in your home, but the holiday season is an especially bad time to find bugs in the carpets or on the countertops. However, there are great ways to avoid having pests in your home throughout the holidays, and the best way to prevent this problem is by beginning to use these methods right away. Here are six tips for keeping your home pest-free during the holidays.
Tip 1: Get Rid of the Clutter inside Your Home
Insects tend to live in piles of clutter, including cardboard boxes or stacks of clothing. If your home is cluttered, then you should get organized by throwing things away. Sort through the items that are in piles to place the items in trash bags for proper disposal, or alternatively, you can give things away to charitable organizations. When you must keep items, store things in plastic totes that have tight-fitting lids. Remember that every area of your home should be free of clutter, so you should clean the closets in addition to the other spaces in your home.
Tip 2: Clean and Organize the Kitchen
The kitchen in your home is the place where you will prepare meals and snacks for the holidays, but the kitchen is where the insect pests seek food or moisture. Remove everything from the cupboards and refrigerator in the kitchen in order to more easily clean the shelves where there are crumbs or spills. It is better to have food stored in metal or glass containers that insect pests can’t chew through, which in turn could lead to a larger infestation. You should avoid leaving any holiday treats on the kitchen countertops because the foods will attract cockroaches or ants.
Tip 3: Walk around the Outside of Your Home
To avoid having pests entering your home, you should also make sure that the lawns, porches and pathways are clean. Use a broom and the water from a garden hose to eliminate debris from the pathways and porches of your home. Don’t have piles of firewood piled against the side of your home, and also, you should trim away the dangling branches from the trees and shrubs. Use a liquid sealant to fill any crevices or holes where ants, cockroaches or other bugs can enter your home.
Tip 4: Keeping a Home’s Bedding Clean and Protected
There’s a chance you may have a concern about an infestation of bed bugs. These tiny insects can enter a home on a child’s backpack or from your luggage after a vacation. Bedbugs will infest bedding items first to feast on your blood while you are sleeping at night. Experts recommend having special covers on the box springs and mattress of your bed. You should also clean the bed frame routinely along with washing blankets and sheets in hot water to destroy the insects. You should also vacuum and shampoo the upholstered furniture in a bedroom because bedbugs will also infest these items. Alternatively, you could hire a professional team of exterminators to eliminate these pests for good.
Tip 5: Professional Pest Control Methods
When your home has an insect infestation, home remedies aren’t always as effective as you might hope. Don’t waste time with iffy methods, especially when guests are on their way. Hiring a professional exterminator can help give you peace of mind, especially around the holidays. Not only will they rid your home of pests, but will also help you figure out where they are entering and hiding. Keep your home bug-free this season by contacting Turner Pest in Jacksonville, FL to schedule an appointment for professional extermination.
Tip 6: Shampooing Your Home’s Carpets Before the Holiday Season Begins
Vacuuming and shampooing your carpets and rugs are a great way to tidy up the home. Not only does it get rid of crumbs, dust, and debris that have accumulated, but by doing so it can help reduce the numbers of pests. It is also an excellent plan to have your carpet shampooed before the holiday season begins to get rid of the dirt that is deep in the fibers of the carpets. Plus, nothing feels better than a clean, comfy carpet while you’re curled up by the fire!
