Don’t Host Holiday Pests In Your Home!

Many holiday pests can hitchhike home with you! Bringing a Christmas tree into your house invites insects, mites and spiders to hang out for the holiday. Fleas also thrive with the constant coming and going of different people and pets. Learn about common pests you could encounter this holiday:

Christmas Tree Pests

Insects, mites and spiders can get into your home on your Christmas tree. These holiday pests come alive from the warmth of your house. Entomologists from the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences report that pests will usually stay on the tree, but some will migrate toward lights and windows.

Adelgids, aphids, bark beetles, mites, praying mantids, psocids, scale insects and spiders all live in evergreens. Most aren’t suited for indoor conditions and will die, but to prevent the problem, consider:

-Shaking the tree before you bring it inside. Some Christmas tree lots have mechanical shakers to remove loose needles and also pests.
-Removing bird nests and any insect egg masses you notice.
-Leaving the insects if you notice them when the tree is already in the house. Most will stay on the tree and die because they aren’t suited for the conditions in your home.
-Avoiding chemical aerosol insect sprays. They are highly flammable and could cause disaster!

Fleas – Tiny Holiday Pests

People tend to pick up fleas from families’ visiting pets over the holidays. These tiny holiday pests infest wild animals and pets. They can jump up to eight inches high to move. It sounds like a short distance, but that would be like if a human could jump over a skyscraper! Female fleas produce up to 500 offspring in 100 days, quickly turning a few fleas into an infestation.

Fleas transmit the bubonic plague, bacteria diseases and tapeworms. They cause allergic reactions in pets and people, and their bites cause painful, itchy red bumps.

Be careful of letting visiting family bring their pets to your house and leaving fleas behind. If you do give visiting pets the OK to stay, follow these tips to keep your family from singing “Oh Christmas Flea” this holiday season:

-Clean and vacuum often to remove fleas and their eggs.
-Keep rodents, which are common flea carriers, out of your home. Our previous blog post gives you some easy ideas to rid your home of mice in winter. You can also contact us if you see signs of rodents.
-Regularly wash and groom your pets.
-Use flea treatments on your pets regularly.

We have decades of experience treating homes for many different kinds of pests. Call us at (920) 582-9000 for a free quote.