Keep Your Home Pest-Free This Christmas

Lots of festive food, decorations, and a real Christmas tree might be a big part of your celebrations. But did you know that they can attract pests to your home too? Here’s our guide on how to have a pest-free Christmas. 

Check your decorations

If your decorations have been packed away in a cardboard box in a dusty loft or garage be sure to check them for pests before you unpack them. Pests love to nest in dark, undisturbed nooks and crannies. Check for signs that pests have been at cardboard boxes. Rodents can leave gnaw marks and droppings behind. 

Store decorations securely for a pest-free Christmas

If your dusty box of decorations was full of spiders, you probably don’t want to a repeat next year. Avoid using cardboard boxes to store your decorations, consider plastic storage boxes with a tight-fitting lid. 

Check storage areas

Once Christmas is over and it’s time to put the decorations away for another year, it might be worth checking storage areas for signs of pest activity. Give your garage or loft the once over for tell-tale signs like rodent droppings, dead insects, or nests. 

Keep fabrics away from hungry pests

If you don’t want any hungry clothes moths nibbling away on your favourite Christmas table cloth, store it away in a sealed plastic bag. This goes for your woollen Christmas jumpers too!

Got a real tree? Dispose of it quickly

This is an important tip if you want a pest-free Christmas. As lovely as real Christmas trees are, they are attractive to pests. Rodents and insects love to hide out and nest in trees, so don’t leave it lying around outside long after Christmas is over. Check if your local council offers a Christmas tree collection or recycling service. 

Don’t leave food lying around 

It can be tempting to leave leftovers lying on the worktops so people can come and nibble as they please, but this can attract pests. Put leftovers in airtight containers then refrigerate or freeze them. 

Want a pest-free Christmas? Don’t overfill your bin 

Christmas creates a lot of waste but take care not to overfill your bin. That chicken carcass will smell delicious to a rodent and rotting rubbish in general attracts all kinds of pests. Double bag any food waste if you can’t reuse or recycle it. Make sure your bin lid is securely closed and you don’t leave bags of rubbish next to it. 

Give your home a good clean 

Lots of Christmas prep can leave your kitchen sticky and messy, and decorations can mean lots of dust. Once the celebrations are over for another year, give your home a good clean. While it’s true that even clean homes can have problems with pests, they are less attractive to them. So hoover and disinfect surfaces to your heart’s content! 

Don’t want to share your home with pests this Christmas?

If you’ve seen evidence of pests lurking in amongst your Christmas decorations or you suspect that you’re sharing your home with something other than your other half, the kids, and the dog, call Contego. 

We can inspect your home, identify and deal with any pest problems, and help you enjoy a pest-free Christmas.