After Christmas each year we put our Christmas decorations away, hopefully fairly soon after the holiday is over. We will leave them sitting for the next 11 months without giving them another thought, but it's worth considering that several types of pests could have made claim to those unsupervised boxes and started living there comfortably for that whole time. Some of the most common pests that will do so are mice, spiders, and silverfish. Their habits and risks may vary, but none are desirable to have around.
Mice come to depend on humans for survival, as they enter homes looking for warmth, shelter, and food. They can contaminate food sources with their urine and feces, as well as do significant damage to insulation, drywall, wires, and personal belongings. Their incisor teeth grow continuously, which makes them chew constantly. They reproduce rapidly so that just a few mice can become a full-blown infestation in a very short time.
Spiders are common in South Carolina, where it is humid in the summer and mild in the winter. That is why spiders like the dangerous brown recluse or black widow spider reside there. Other household spiders are much more common, however, and can be a nuisance and scary to have around, especially when they are infesting your precious Christmas decorations. They can leave cobwebs in inconvenient places, appear unexpectedly and frighten people, and may be an indicator of the presence of other pests.
Silverfish like to feed on glue, like wallpaper paste and book bindings. You can find them among linens and other items around your home, including damp cool places like inside your basement-stored Christmas decorations. They are not particularly dangerous but can damage personal belongings, and they are extremely creepy and fast-moving pests.
Due to these pests and many others, always be careful when you go into your storage area to get your decorations out, whether it is the basement, attic, or other room, just in case there are pests residing in the boxes and containers. You can avoid some of these pests by:
- Sealing off all entry points inside your home. This is sometimes a daunting task, and pests may still find their way into your home anyway.
- Repairing or replacing all broken screens, vents, windows, and doors. Time-consuming and costly perhaps, but worth it in the long run.
- Storing decorations in airtight storage bins to keep pests out. Also a useful strategy for keeping things organized.
- Contacting a pest control professional in your area. The easiest method for receiving guaranteed protection.
At Aiken Pest Control in South Carolina, we want to help you protect your family and home against nuisance and destructive pests, like mice, spiders, silverfish and other house-invading pests. Call us for a free, no-obligation home inspection and we will identify all of your pest pressures. We can then develop a customized program for your home that best suits your needs. Our comprehensive programs are performed by trained pest control professionals. Best of all, your satisfaction is guaranteed, meaning that if pests return, so do we at no additional cost. When Aiken Pest is in control of your pests you get protection that gives you peace of mind your home is pest-free and has lasting security all year long with our year-round services.