Thanksgiving starts off the holiday season in grand style with a sumptuous feast surrounded by family and friends. If you’re hosting one of these Thanksgiving gatherings, you‘ve probably got a lot on your to-do list getting ready for the big day.  Pests, such as roaches, ants, and rodents are trying to get into your home in the fall and Thanksgiving is one of their favorite times to visit you. With lots of food lying around your warm and cozy home, all pests need is a water source and they’re set for the holidays in paradise.

Here are some tips to help get you ready for Thanksgiving:

  • Go pest-free for the holidays.  Before you break out the big roasting pan and start getting ready for Thanksgiving, put your mind at ease. Contact a professional pest control company, such as Hulett Environmental Services to schedule a FREE pest inspection. Our licensed and certified technicians will address any current pest issues they find with low-dose baits and pin-pointed environmentally-conscious, human and pet-friendly products that target the pests in your home and reduce the need for smelly sprays.
  • Declutter your home. When cleaning your home in preparation for Thanksgiving guests, eliminate clutter and that collection of cardboard boxes in your garage or attic. Roaches love to hide out in cardboard boxes and rats like to use cardboard box material to pad their nests. Termites will also eat anything that contains cellulose, including paper, cardboard, and wood.
  • Clean your home regularly. Starting with your Thanksgiving cleaning, get into the habit of thoroughly vacuuming or sweeping your floors on a regular basis. Especially in your kitchen and dining areas, wipe down countertops, tables, and any other surfaces used in food preparation and dining.
  • Storage. When it comes to making your home unattractive to pests, keep all food covered or in the fridge, prior to your upcoming feast. If you only bake during the holiday season, toss all open bags or containers of dried goods, such as flour, bread crumbs, pancake and biscuit mix that haven’t been stored in metal, glass, or hard plastic containers in your pantry. On Thanksgiving Day after you can’t possibly eat another bite, store all leftover food, if any,  in the fridge or in metal, glass, or hard plastic containers. If you are left with quite a few leftovers, be sure to label and date containers that can be stacked neatly in your fridge, so you can easily find the components of the always popular, day after Turkey Day, turkey sandwich.
  • Declutter your yard. Making your home unattractive to pests this Thanksgiving includes getting rid of hiding places and potential nesting areas in your yard.
  • Proper drainage. In addition to keeping your gutters clean, make sure your downspouts drain away from your house. Keeping your foundation dry will keep pests from trying to get into your house this Thanksgiving. Correcting all drainage issues and eliminating standing water from your yard is always suggested in South Florida, as mosquitoes can thrive year-round.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, safe, and pest-free Thanksgiving! Just call Hulett!