How to Decorate Your Plano Home Without the Pests

Pests That Hide In Your Decorations

The holiday season is a time to be merry and deck the halls. Unfortunately, several unwanted pests may tag along in your decorations and ruin the seasonal spirit for you by making an unwanted appearance. Keep an eye out for the pests below, as they like to stow away in cardboard boxes in attics and garages, making the boxes you store holiday decorations in a prime target.

• Silverfish
• Cockroaches
• Termites
• Spiders
• Crickets
• Rodents

Any of these pests may be hiding out in your holiday decorations, so it is important to treat each box with care as you unearth it for the season to lessen your chance of a negative encounter.

Pest Warning Signs

As you begin to bring out and sift through your decorations for the season, there are several warning signs that you should keep an eye out for that indicate pests have gotten into your decorations:

• Check the corners and sides of every cardboard box you have for chew marks or claw marks. These typically indicate the presence of rodents in the box or your home, something that can be a dangerous problem if your decorations become contaminated with rodent urine or feces. If you do detect rodents in your home, give the experts at All-Safe Pest & Termite a call as soon as possible.
• As you unwrap and detangle your string lights, look closely at the wiring for signs of chew marks. This can be caused by rodents and may make the lights dangerous if much of the wiring has been gnawed.
• Examine the outside and interior of boxes for spider webs or signs of cockroach droppings. Either of these may indicate that some unwanted pests lurk in the cardboard that you should be aware of. It can be helpful to wear gloves, long sleeves, and long pants when unloading decorations to protect your skin from insect droppings or bites.
• Shake off and wipe down all ornaments before you hang them around your home. This will help clear them of any lingering dust, spider webs, or pest residue that may encourage an infestation in your home.

When dealing with decorations, you should bring the boxes outside of your home to unload them. This will stop a pest from startling you and escaping the box. The pests may go further into your home and can potentially start an infestation. You may also want to consider storing all of your holiday decorations in more durable plastic storage bins over cardboard boxes, as these can be tightly sealed to keep pests out and are more chew-proof than other materials.

Professional Pest Assistance

The holidays are supposed to be a stress-free time filled with peaceful decorating and merry feelings. However, when pests make an unexpected appearance in your decorations, your holiday season may be far from merry. If you have detected pests in your holiday decorations or encountered infestation problems in your home, contact All-Safe Pest & Termite immediately. We have prompt same-day or next-day service and a 100% all-service guarantee.

Tags: signs of pests | pest removal |