How to Prevent Pest Infestations During the Holidays - By: M. Davis

From St. Louis to Seattle, pest control problems can ruin the holidays. A home pest inspection can help you avoid this unsavory situation. During a home pest inspection, a residential pest control expert checks out your home, looking for situations that could encourage rodent and insect infestations. The tips listed below can also help you discourage pests this holiday season.

Keep it Clean

As every Bellevue and Seattle pest control guru knows, pantry pests are a common residential pest control problem all year long. Weevils, moths, ants, rodents and beetles are happy to feed on any carbohydrate-heavy food, including rice, cereal and flour. To avoid drawing pests to your pantry, keep a tidy kitchen. After eating, immediately clean up any crumbs or spills, and store extra food in airtight containers. Finally, keep your pantry dry; like us, pests need water to survive.

Firewood Pest Prevention

For pests, firewood represents both shelter and food. Avert firewood pest infestations by storing firewood off of the ground. Keep firewood more than twenty feet from your house. Proximity encourages infestations, as bugs tend to explore the area surrounding their homes, and firewood makes an excellent rodent and bug home. Pest inspection experts take a good look at firewood storage, since this area often creates the need for residential pest control.

Don't Let the Bed Bugs Hitchhike

Bed bugs are showing up in posh hotels across the nation, so don't feel bad about protecting your home from bed bugs that may have hitchhiked in with holiday guests. After all, bed bugs have spread across America by hitching rides with travelers. Your guests may unwittingly bring bed bugs into your home on their luggage.

Protect yourself against these tiny vampires by dressing guest beds in light-colored linens. This will make it much easier to see bed bug specimens, exoskeletons and feces. Additionally, you should store luggage away from bedrooms once your guests have unpacked. Following the visit, wash clean linens in very hot water. Lastly, a box spring and mattress encasement is an excellent method of practicing bed bug residential pest control.

Christmas Tree Pest Prevention

A Christmas tree is a cheery reminder that life survives even the dismal months of winter - a valuable message, especially in wet climates like Portland and Seattle. Pest control precautions are needed, however, even with this most familiar symbol of the holiday season. Carefully check out self-cut or store-bought trees, looking for spider webs. If you find webs, remove them immediately. You should also keep an eye out for live insects lurking in your tree. These pests can breed quickly in your home's heated environment. Apply these same home pest inspection methods when bringing fresh wreaths or garlands into your home.

Carefully Unpack Decorations

Moths, nesting mice, silverfish and carpet beetles love to set up shop in storage containers. Not only do storage boxes provide a protected home for pests, but they also contain pest food in the form of organic materials like fabric and paper. Therefore, be very careful when unpacking stored holiday decorations. If you can stand the cold temperatures, unpack holiday decorations outdoors. Watch for pests while unwrapping figurines, stockings and ornaments. As far as residential pest control is concerned, the ideal storage solution is plastic tubs with locking, tight lids, as pests can't gnaw their way into these containers.

About the Author

Eden Advanced Pest Technologies, a great Seattle pest control company, uses advanced technologies to perform natural and safe pest control services in both residential and commercial areas. Discover more about their services and advice on their site at http://www.EdenPest.com.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/M--Davis/197458

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