Keeping Pests at Bay During the Holidays

The holidays are already a busy time, and dealing with pests is certainly not something you've added to your Christmas list. As your Vancouver home fills with family and friends, you want to make sure that the cockroaches, rats, mice, and bed bugs aren't coming in as well. Here are a few simple ideas for ensuring that you holidays are free from pests!

Clean Up

One of the simplest and easiest things you can do is to clean, really clean. You'll want to focus on cleaning out your cupboards and pantry, ensuring that there aren't any crumbs lying around. In addition, make sure to clean up spills right away, so that pests are not attracted to your home. Pay special attention to expired foods, and place food items in resealable plastic containers to prevent boxes from being chewed through.

While you're cleaning your kitchen, be sure and clean up the food preparation areas as well. This includes wiping up crumbs, cleaning up after each meal and wiping down your counters and appliances.

Take Out the Trash

With all the baking and cooking that occurs during the holidays, you definitely want to make sure you're taking out the trash. Garbage bags with food scraps inside your home make the perfect meal for pests. In addition, it is recommended that you clean out your trash cans each time you empty them. Often food scraps can get down between the can and the bag, leaving tempting bits of food for pests to munch on.

Run the Vacuum

Dust and dirt definitely attracts pests like dust mites, so make sure you're running the vacuum and dusting as you go. In addition, be sure to check for bed bugs. You'll want to look for little reddish-brown spots and/or bug skins on the bedding, closets, bedside tables, and box spring. Unfortunately, however, if you do find signs of bed bugs, you'll want to call a Vancouver pest control company right away to ensure their timely and complete removal from your home.

By taking these preventative measures, you can help ensure your holidays stay pest free.