The holidays are supposed to be a time for food, fun, and family, but one gift no one wants to find under their tree is an invading winter pest. Yet, that’s just the gift Colorado homeowners often wind up getting. When the winter starts setting in, the pests start coming indoors, and this phenomenon usually winds up coinciding with the start of the holidays.
What’s even worse is all the additional holiday food and sugary drinks lying around provide extra incentive for pests already looking for shelter from the cold. That’s why keeping up with your Castle Rock pest control best practices needs to remain a priority, even during all the festivities.
The Holiday Pest Invasion: Understanding The Seasonal Challenge
As we said above, winter is a time when many pests start trying to come indoors. Sometimes, our climate-controlled homes are just the most convenient places for native pest species to bed down until spring. However, Colorado is also home to many invasive pest species.
These animals are not adapted to our state’s high desert climate. In most of these pests’ cases, they are almost entirely dependent on humans to see them through the cold months. Thus, they couldn’t be more motivated to get into our homes.
In either case, you’re going to have to step up your efforts to keep them out. Expect to have to get rid of rodents, deal with an uptick in cockroach activity, watch out for spiders or flies, and more throughout the cold season.
Pest-Proof Your Décor: Holiday Decorating Tips
Many people don’t think about it, but holiday decorations can sometimes attract pests or allow them to invade. For instance, if you’ve got extension cords plugged in inside and running under your door sweeps to feed outdoor lights, you’ve just opened up an avenue for many different types of pest insects to enter.
Certain holiday decorations can also attract pests or harbor them. For instance, you’re practically inviting cockroaches and flies to a buffet when setting out a Thanksgiving cornucopia. Christmas trees can also contain spiders and other pests when you purchase them, and you then introduce these pests into your home when you bring your tree inside.
This means you’ll want to take precautions with certain decorations. Do things like:
Shake or hose off your live Christmas tree before bringing it inside.
Avoid using uncovered food decorations like cornucopias.
Cover all holiday foods whenever they’re not being actively consumed.
Clean up immediately after meals and festivities. Don’t leave dirty dishes out.
Use plastic tubs to store holiday decorations to prevent pests from nesting in boxes.
Don’t run cables in ways that create gaps in your home’s exterior seal.
Only use natural wreaths and garlands outside.
Taking these pest prevention measures can help make your home less attractive to many pests over the holiday season, but even they may not be enough if pests are desperate enough to escape the cold.
Don't Let Pests Take Over Your Holidays: Contact Us Today!
If your holiday pest control measures feel inadequate in the face of desperate and determined pests, don’t give up hope. You don’t have to share your festivities with a horde of rodents or roaches. You just need a little extra help.
Here at High Country Pest Control, we understand that trying to keep ahead of pests probably isn’t part of your holiday plans. That’s why we offer comprehensive pest control services tailored to the pests endemic to the Centennial State. We can fill the gaps where your prevention measures fail so that we can ensure pests can never come to your home for the holidays.
Even better, we offer dependable pest control solutions for the whole year so that you can spend more of your holiday time focusing on festivities, and less of it focusing on keeping pests out of your pantry. So don’t wait until you find rodents running through your crawlspace or roaches rooting through your cabinets. Call High Country Pest Control at the first sign of trouble!
Stay Merry And Pest-Free: Ongoing Pest Maintenance Tips
Of course, even after the holidays are over, you still have to deal with winter pests. Though there’s no more fruitcake or pumpkin pie, there’s still plenty of normal pantry food and water, not to mention central heating, in your home. That’s why you’ll need ongoing pest control for the entire winter.
Instead of relying on prevention methods that may or may not keep out determined winter pests, trust the professional pest control experts here at High Country Pest Control. We can help keep your home pest-free all winter long!