It’s almost Thanksgiving 2023, a time where families spend time together and enjoy delicious food, football games, and other activities. However, Turkey Day is not as much fun when you have uninvited guests. And no, we’re not talking about the know-it-all mother-in-law or the annoying younger brother. We’re talking about guests of the non-human variety, mainly insects, rodents, and other pests.
Pests don’t care that you’re celebrating a holiday. In fact, they’re more likely to invade your home if they know there will be food. Turkey, mashed potatoes, casseroles, breads, pumpkin pies, and other sugary and fatty foods attract pests like nothing else. You especially want to be on the lookout for moths, beetles, ants, flies, and cockroaches, as nothing would be more embarrassing than having to call an Austin pest control company with the family around.
Want to make sure insects and rodents aren’t on the guest list for your Turkey Day activities? Here are some pest control tips for your Texas Thanksgiving.
Have a Checklist
Now’s a good time to start planning your Thanksgiving. Create a checklist that shows what needs to be done now. This includes doing yardwork, cleaning up cluttered areas, and gathering all the pots, pans, and utensils you will need so you can get them washed up now. By starting early, you can have your home and yard under control and ready for guests, not pests.
Clean As You Go
When it comes to Thanksgiving and other large feasts involving your home and kitchen, you can’t do all the cleaning at the end. It just becomes too overwhelming. Instead, make it a point to clean as you go. Put pots, pans, dishes, and utensils in the sink as you’re done with them. When you have a few spare minutes, load them into the dishwasher. The goal is to avoid a huge pile of dishes at the end. When you clean small messes and avoid bigger ones, you avoid the risk of pest infestations as well.
Wipe Down Kitchen Areas
Even if the stove, counters, and floors don’t look dirty, it doesn’t hurt to keep areas wiped down and free of debris. Doing extensive cleaning while cooking can be overwhelming, though, so if you’re short on time, don’t be afraid to delegate. Have helpers on hand to help with cleanup and other tasks.
Don’t Leave Food Out
While you’ll want to leave food out for dinner so it can be served, avoid leaving appetizers out for more than an hour. This can not only leave food prone to bacteria and make guests sick, but it can also attract flies, bees, ants, and other pests. After everyone has finished dinner, start packing away the leftovers. Cover food with lids (if in containers) or with plastic wrap or tin foil to keep pests out. Invest in Tupperware containers for your Thanksgiving feast. Better yet, have guests bring their own if they want to take home leftovers. That makes things easier for you as the host.
Clean Up Spills Immediately
Spills will happen in the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and any other room in the house. Instead of stressing out, be ready to clean them up. Leaving sugary foods and drinks on the floor or counter will only invite pests. Plus, the spills will dry up and harden over time, making them harder to remove the longer you wait. So have a mop or Swiffer and some paper towels handy to quickly get rid of messes.
Take Out the Trash
Thanksgiving get-togethers can create a lot of trash, from canned goods to cardboard packing for other ingredients to paper plates to leftover food. Trash can accumulate quickly and not only is it unsightly but it can start to smell, which can be embarrassing. Before your trash can is overflowing, take the trash bag out quickly — and don’t just toss it out the door. Put the trash bag outside in a garbage can and close the lid so pests stay out and don’t rummage through the trash, causing messes.
Eliminate Smells
The smells associated with Thanksgiving dinner can attract pests. Use odor neutralizing sprays to eliminate these smells. You can also use various oils to repel pests, such as peppermint, eucalyptus, mint, lavender, and lemongrass. Also, as mentioned above, keep trash out and away from the home. Light some candles and use air fresheners to keep the environment smelling nice.
Do Some Yard Work
Even though Thanksgiving dinners typically take place indoors, pests make their way indoors through the outdoors. Ants, mosquitoes, spiders, earwigs, cockroaches, and other pests like to hide in vegetation outside. You can prevent infestations by keeping your landscaping in check. Trim bushes and trees to make them less attractive to pests. Keep the lawn cut short as well — under 3 inches is ideal.
Inspect for Pests Before Guests Arrive
The day before guests arrive, you can search in and around your home for signs of pests. Look inside and out for droppings, cobwebs, chew marks, and odd smells. Look for any nests or any sounds that could signal a pest infestation. Seal up any holes, remove clutter, sweep floors, vacuum floors, dust all the rooms, and give your home a squeaky clean appearance to ward off pests.
Contact our Central Texas pest control experts today
Don’t let Thanksgiving 2023 be the one where you had to call an exterminator. Start taking steps now to avoid having pests over for turkey and dessert.
For the best Austin pest control, contact the team at Stride Pest Control. We offer quick and efficient service so you can spend more time with family and other things that matter most to you. Schedule a free consultation by filling out the online form or calling (512) 777-1339 (Austin) or (210) 547-8410 (San Antonio).
