Austin, Texas does not see a lot of cold weather and so, the pests you dealt with during the spring and summer months are likely still going to be around during Thanksgiving. While most people only think about eating good food and spending time with family and friends this time of year, it is important to remember that pests do not take time off for the holidays. Everyone should know what pests are most common around Thanksgiving, how to prevent them from getting inside, and who to call when they become a problem.
What Pests are Most Common Around Thanksgiving?
Of course, any pest can become a problem around Thanksgiving, but there are some that homeowners deal with more commonly during this time of year. Food often takes center stage at Thanksgiving and while you may be excited about tempting your guests, pests will be tempted, too. Ants are ferocious scavengers and you may not only see them in your home, but perhaps even marching across your table or on your counter. As they travel, ants will spread bacteria across any food or surface they touch, which could put you and your family at risk.
Rodents and cockroaches may also enter your home in search of food. Cockroaches may seem like just an unpleasant annoyance, but they are much worse than that. These critters carry 33 different types of bacteria, seven human pathogens, and six parasitic pests. Mice and rats also carry diseases, including hantavirus and salmonella. When these pests are around your food or in your kitchen, it is of serious concern.
In addition to the pests that want to be a guest at your dinner table, there are other pests that are more common during Thanksgiving, too. The holidays are a time for people to come together and congregate, but you may find that more than invited guests show up. If one of your guests has a bed bug problem in their own home, you may find yourself dealing with the same issue. Bed bugs are notorious hitchhikers and they may catch a ride in a guest’s bag, purse, or even on their clothing. Once inside, bed bugs are incredibly difficult to get rid of, so it is important to be aware of the risk.
How to Prevent Pests This Thanksgiving
It is not only on the big day that you have to worry about pests entering your home. There are steps you should take before, during, and after the holiday to ensure that you do not end the holiday with unwanted critters in your home. The best prevention tactics are as follows:
- Store food properly: Any leftover food you have should be stored properly, meaning in hard plastic or glass containers. Insects and rodents will easily make their way into paper bags and other containers and when they do, they will contaminate the items inside. Hard storage containers will also make it more difficult for pests to smell the food, which is also an important step in pest prevention.
- Use metal runged shelving: Metal runged shelving will not have one flat surface pests can use to get from one place to another. This will make them feel uncomfortable and unsteady, which will mean they will not want to stick around. Also, metal runged shelving allows air to flow around food items, which can help keep packages dry and ventilated.
- Properly seal your garbage: Garbage should always be kept sealed, either by tying the top of the bag or by using a tight-fitting lid. Also, when you throw away food, place it in a plastic bag first before throwing it in the garbage. This will prevent bugs from getting into your garbage and laying eggs.
- Vacuum and sweep regularly: Pests are often at ground level, and if you have crumbs or other food on the floor, it will be very attractive to them. Vacuum rugs and carpeting often and sweep any time the floor is dirty, particularly after you have just eaten a meal.
- Clean up spills: A spill may seem like an annoyance to you but to pests, they are a source of food. Always clean up all spills immediately after they occur so they do not attract pests.
- Store pet food properly: Pet food will also feed pests that enter your home if you do not store it properly. Feed your pet only at meal time, and only provide enough for them to eat and become full. This will prevent food from sitting around in dishes and being an attractant to pests. Also transfer any pet food from the bag you purchase it into a hard container so pests cannot infiltrate the packaging.
- Clean dirty dishes: With the amount of food that comes with Thanksgiving, there are also a number of dirty dishes. You have worked hard to feed your family and friends, and you may be tempted to simply leave the kitchen dirty, at least overnight. However, this is a mistake. The food left in or on dishes will act as a food source to pests, even if you think there are only scraps left. If you cannot wash the dishes immediately, at least scrape them and leave them in a sink full of soapy water. Pests will not risk their life just to get to clean dishes.
- Deep clean the kitchen: The kitchen is a very busy place around Thanksgiving, and there is a good chance that there are spills and messes. Clean these up as soon as you can, making sure you also clean around and under the stove and fridge. These are high traffic areas that are notorious for collecting sticky spills and rotting grime.
The above prevention tactics are very useful, but they do not always work. When that is the case and pests still make their way inside, it is important to speak to an Austin pest control company.
Call Our Pest Control Experts in Austin for a Free Consult
If you are dealing with pests, our Austin pest control experts at Stride Pest Control can get rid of them for you. Call us today at (512) 777-1339 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation so we can get started right away.