Food, food, and more food; that seems to be one of the themes this time of the year. Whether you are roasting a turkey, baking cookies, simmering cider, or something else, the kitchen tends to see more activity than normal this season. Much like we like to get our feast on during the fall and winter, many pests and rodents are looking for the exact same thing. The fall season does not only bring apple cider, football, and pumpkins lining porches, it also brings new pests and rodents out and about and possibly into your home or business, making fall pest prevention just as important as the meal you are about to serve. Don’t give pests and rodents a feast this holiday season and take precautions to ensure your treats are only enjoyed by those who they are intended for.
Common Fall Pests in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan
Ohio is home to nearly 300 insects, arachnids, and other creepy crawlers. While there are certain pest populations that diminish with the cooler weather; the fact is that many continue to thrive and begin to seek food and shelter indoors. Each fall, we receive an increase in pest related calls from home and business owners.
Some common fall pests in our area are: bed bugs, cockroaches, mice, rats, and spiders. Pests and rodents make their way indoors in the brisker months of the year to find food, water, and shelter. Our Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan homes and businesses give unwanted pests the perfect place to create a home of their own and to escape the outdoor elements, especially when there is an added amount of food and sweet items around and more clutter, creating great hiding places for them.
Fall Pest Prevention
To ensure you and your invited guests are the only ones having a feast this holiday season you need to take some precautions to keep pests and rodents out.
- Keep your cooking and serving areas clean. The key to keeping pests and rodents away is to not make food easily accessible to them. This is especially true over the holidays when many people are cooking and baking more. Make sure you clean up immediately after preparing foods and tightly seal all ingredients and leftovers. If you have holiday cookies, ensure they are in a container and not left out to welcome critters to the yummy treats. Even the smallest piece of food can attract pests and rodents. If you are hosting a meal, be sure to wipe down and vacuum around the area as soon as guests leave.
- Store firewood away from your home or business. Keeping pests out of your firewood is step one to keeping them out of your home or business. Pests and rodents tend to love to hide in wood piles, and keeping it close to a building is an open invitation for pests to enter. Wood-boring pests can tunnel through the wood and into the structure. It is recommended that firewood is stored at least three to five feet from any structures. When you bring firewood indoors, check for pests and burn the wood right away.
- Avoid getting the gift of bed bugs. While you may be aware that bed bugs are a problem over the holidays, if you don’t take proper precautions, you could end up with a bed bug infestation. If you are traveling, you should keep your eyes peeled for signs of bed bugs. If you are going to have guests visiting, you should ensure that you eliminate as many places and ways as possible for them to bring bed bugs into your Northwest Ohio or Southeast Michigan home or business. You should also vacuum and clean linens, and other areas where their belongings touched, immediately upon their departure.
- Check greenery and decorations. Over the holidays many people tend to introduce nature into the indoors of their home or business. This can welcome pests and rodents inside as well. Check wreaths, trees, and any other greenery you bring inside for insects, nests, eggs, or other hidden tenants. Pest and rodents can hide in the smallest cracks and crevices, so be thorough to ensure you don’t bring them inside. If you store decorations in an attic, basement, shed, or other areas that are often unattended, be sure to check them out for signs of a pest infestation before bringing them into your living space.
You and your guests should be the only ones enjoying your feast this holiday season, so be sure to take fall pest prevention precautions.
At Delving Pest Control we know how important and busy this time of the year is, and we can help. We offer discreet pest and rodent control in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Contact us today to learn more.
