“It’s the most wonderful timer of the year”.  Well, at least until the roach scurries across the kitchen floor while Aunt Ethel is digging into her world-famous green bean casserole.  Yes, the holiday season is upon us and there’s nothing like time spent with family and friends over great meals and conversation.

However, a quick way to distract from the festivities is having pests succeed in using your home as easy access to the shelter, food, and water they seek during cold weather months. This can be even more of a problem given the additional cooking and eating we enjoy during the holidays.

While our home’s warmth may be the initial attractant to pests, food is what multiplies them and keeps them there. Pests are greedy. They want to be warm and fed. Keeping food away takes away the most important element. There’s a reason why insects and rodents are still around, yet dinosaurs aren’t. They didn’t survive by settling for warm but hungry. So, here’s a few tips that will help keep pests at bay so you can concentrate on enjoying time with those you love.

Limit Eating Areas

This can be a difficult task during the holidays. We’re eating popcorn on the couch while watching holiday movies or snacking room to room during holiday parties.

However, avoiding the use of multiple rooms in the home as a place to eat can reduce the likelihood of ants or other pests from entering the home. If possible, eat only in the kitchen and/or dining room. This will help prevent unwanted insects in the home, while cutting down on the day to day and after party cleanup. A bonus is you get to break out the card table and pass down the story of the “little table” to your kids and Grandkids! They’ll thank you later.

Store Food Properly

For those that have a habit of leaving food out, it can spell disaster. Looking at you kids and Grandkids!  Unsealed boxes and containers can bring an Army of ants faster than Santa can so Ho three times. Whether its sweets or starches, keep all food on counters covered, and any bags sealed. Better yet, seal all opened food in plastic bins to ensure insects aren’t attracted by the smell.

Keep Trash Cans Covered

It’s a simple yet effective truth. Trash can lids stop rodents. You’ll limit access to food and motivate them to look in other places…like outside. This also goes for your exterior trash cans. If the lids don’t seal, give Waste Management a call and have them replace it. Lord knows we pay them enough.

Call a professional…Preferably us.

The absolute best offense against pests is a great defense. Using pest control professionals for regular services is a proactive step against unwanted pests. Steel City Pest offers two options for the homeowner, and both are completely safe for humans and pets. The organic pest control service uses a combination of organic/natural products inside and outside the home for maximum effectiveness. Our traditional, chemical-based products are extremely effective and, thanks to our processes, safe for your loved ones as we concentrate our interior efforts on where pests like to be but, where small fingers (children) and tongues (pets) can’t reach.