Nothing can ruin a meal faster than finding evidence that pests have messed with the food – and if you’ve spent several days and hundreds of dollars preparing that meal, things could get ugly. That’s why it’s vital to keep pests out of your Ogden home this holiday season. With the festivities just around the corner, it’s time to kick your Ogden pest control efforts into high gear to protect your celebration plans.
Pests Can Still Be Problematic During The Holidays
When you’re in the middle of decorating and recipe planning, the number of cockroaches that could be under your stove or the kinds of rodents that could be crawling around in your walls probably aren’t the things at the front of your mind. However, not thinking about these issues could come back to bite you (perhaps literally) if pests crash your holiday party.
In fact, winter can be a prime time for pest invasions, especially here in Utah, where the winters can be long and harsh. Pests – particularly pests that follow human populations and are therefore not indigenous to this area – often depend on human climate-controlled dwellings and human food stores to get them through the difficult cold months. That means while you’re working to plan the perfect holiday meal, pests are working to find ways to get into your home.
All The Ways Pests Can Pop Up In Your Holidays
There are several pests that can cause issues during the holidays, as well as the rest of the winter. Rats and mice are some of the worst offenders. Many of the rat species that commonly invade Ogden homes are not native to the area and did not evolve to make it through such harsh winter conditions. Furthermore, these rodents do not become less active in the winter. They have to feed themselves and find shelter the whole time. This means you could start seeing an uptick in rodent activity around Thanksgiving or a little after.
Cockroaches are another pest you’ll notice snuggling up to you during the holidays. Roaches do not like the cold and need water to survive. Most of the things they eat also become harder to find when the snow starts to fall. Thus, they’ll be turning to the gingerbread house on your dining room table or the cookies on your countertop.
With the increase in rodent and roach activity, other pests may follow. For instance, spiders might decide your home is a good place to set up shop if there are plenty of roaches to eat. And wildlife might take advantage of rodent damage to tear up your trash or enter your home.
Simple Tips To Enjoy Your Holidays Without The Pests
To prevent an uptick in cockroach and rodent activity, you’ll need to intensify your home pest control efforts as winter approaches. The good news is you don’t have to overhaul your whole lifestyle. Just follow these simple home pest control tips:
- Store all pantry foods in airtight containers.
- Keep all indoor and outdoor trash cans covered with tight lids.
- Clear dirty dishes from meals immediately.
- Vacuum and sweep often to get rid of crumbs.
- Don’t let holiday clutter take over your home, as it provides hiding spots for unwanted pests.
Sticking with these pest control best practices can help keep your holidays pest-free.
Contact The Pros For More Pest Control Assistance
If you’re worried your amateur residential pest control efforts won’t be enough to protect your holidays from invading pests, contact us here at Mountain West Pest Control. Our home pest control services can help protect your holiday festivities from icky roaches, nasty rodents, and whatever other pests want to invade your home. Click or call to get started!