Is Your Christmas Decor Attracting Pests?
Christmas holiday comes with many excitements as everybody wants to decorate their homes to galvanize celebrations’ moods. From festive lights, Christmas trees, garlands, door wreaths to present boxes and more decorations, your home is ready for the holiday. But wait! Some of the decors attract unexpected visitors as most of them have natural nature. These decorations have ample places to host pests and insects, which may be harmful to you and your family.
Keep reading this piece for details on which holiday decors attract the pest and how to get rid of them.
7 Prominent Decors Prone to Pests Infestation
There are endless lists of Christmas decorations known for attracting pests. Below are the top decorations that will give you a peaceless and joyless holiday in your house if pests invade them. (Remember Christmas is supposed to be all about joy, love, and happiness!)
- Floral Decor
Poinsettias and mistletoe are evergreen plants that give your home a tremendous romantic décor. But they can also shelter pests. Hence, inspect your festive plants before purchasing them to ensure they are safe.
- A Live Christmas Tree
It’s one of the best holiday decorations to have in your home. But as if Christmas tree mold isn’t bad enough, bugs are ever attracted to it too as it’s like a magnet to them. You wouldn’t miss a few pests hiding in the tree even if you had an inspection earlier. So, before bringing the tree into your home, ensure you shake it thoroughly to eliminate any bugs on it. Keep on inspecting the tree always and if you see any insect on it, remove it by vacuuming it up.
- Garlands
You can get your garlands from a store or collecting them from stately outdoors. Whichever the way you choose, they might have annoying guests inside. So, inspect your garlands, whether it’s natural or not, before using them in your décor.
- Wreaths
Keeping wreaths outside your house doesn’t guarantee safety as you will be opening your door regularly. If the wreath has bugs on it, they may run into your home whenever you open the front door. Using wreaths with natural elements will increase the rate of harbouring bugs; hence consider artificial ones. However, ensure you always shake it out to eliminate pests that might be inside the wreath.
- Pine Cones
Pine cones are romantic Christmas decorations that will give your home a lovely aroma. It’s cheap to collect them from the stately outdoors than buying them from a shop. They host pests as they follow their smelling sap. Hence, get rid of pine cones pest by baking them at 250 degrees in an oven for about 45 minutes.
- Gingerbread House
Gingerbread house is a lovely Christmas decoration made to entice your guests. But sugar seeking bugs can’t settle with this luxurious gingerbread house in your home. Every night ensure you wrap it and keep it in your fridge till the following day to prevent pests from invading it.
- Christmas Lights
Christmas lights are prone to mice and rats as they love chewing the wiring leaving behind gnaw marks. That’s not all. When they extremely raid your wiring, they destroy the lights, and house fire may also arise as these wiring cables carry electricity. Hence, continuously inspect your lights to ensure no pests are raiding them.
How To Prevent The Pest’s Invasion
You may be saying your home is free from pests after continuous disinfections using remarkable pesticides throughout the year. But how about your Christmas decorations that you want to bring home during the holiday? Relax, as you can also order them in advance and start treating them before Christmas to bring down the rate of pest invasion.
Follow the following preventive measures as you prepare for your holiday.
- Don’t store your Christmas decorations stuff in cardboard boxes. Get airtight plastic containers and bins.
- Get rid of all pests that may invade your home during the winter season and hide in your house, basement, or roof space.
- Ensure you treat all your wreaths, garlands, and Christmas trees with things like tea tree or peppermint oil to keep bugs and other pests from moving in and starting a party.
- Finally, always inspect your décor before putting it out and around your home to make sure it’s safe.
However, if pests made their way into your home and settled there, it might be hard to control them from invading your Christmas décor. If this happens, have regular Excel Pest Services before the holiday attending your home. It will help to prevent pests from attacking your Christmas decor.