Don't Let Pests Make Your Home Theirs for The Holidays

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, one of the last things on homeowners’ minds is making sure they are not accidentally bringing pests inside when decorating. But pest encounters are common this time of year and we'd like to remind homeowners of the importance of keeping pest-proofing in mind while decking the halls. 

Homeowners may not be aware that holiday décor can be the source of an unwanted pest infestation, but the reality is that boxes of stored ornaments and live greenery make excellent nests. One of the most common issues we see around the holidays is freshly cut evergreen trees being brought into homes infested with insects and spiders, which can certainly dampen holiday spirits.

Here are 3 tips for or keeping holiday decorations pest-free:

• Inspect live wreaths, freshly cut trees, and other greenery thoroughly for spiders, insect nests or eggs before bringing them into your home. 
• Unpack boxes of decorations outside to ensure any rodents or insects that may have made a nest inside don’t escape into the home. 
• Examine string lights for gnaw marks, a common sign of a rodent infestation.

Another important thing to remember is to store firewood at least 20 feet from the home on an elevated surface. This keeps pests from crawling into woodpiles and hitchhiking indoors when homeowners bring the wood into the home to start a fire.