4 Winter Holiday Pest Problems and Solutions

The winter holidays offer many opportunities for St. Paul and Minneapolis families and friends to share gifts, dine on sumptuous meals, sample holiday-themed treats, and host visitors for extended stays. Unfortunately, not all guests wait for an invitation to join the party. Many holiday festivities can attract a variety of pests.



Fortunately, you can take steps to prevent these uninvited creatures from dampening your holiday spirits this winter once you understand the particular risks presented by certain holiday traditions. Take a look at four potential pest problems the holidays can foster, along with smart solutions for keeping those problems at bay.

1. Holiday Goodies Feed More than Just Humans

For many, the winter holidays provide opportunities for large-scale feasts, bowls of treats on coffee tables, and the need to store more groceries than usual. Pests appreciate all these dining opportunities just as much as their hosts do. As a result, you may struggle with pest infestations throughout your home.

Few pests can resist food left on a kitchen counter or table, especially in a warm home during a cold winter. Rodents, ants, house flies, and cockroaches can all flock to food debris at the end of a meal. Even after you scrape the plates clean, these pests can infest trash bags or bins left unsealed.

Your pest problem might begin long before your holiday meals do. Pantry pests such as flour beetles, meal moths, and weevils commonly invade shelves and open storage containers in search of uncooked rice, pasta, cereals, and sweet or sticky ingredients. They also dine on stray bits of food on floors and countertops.

Keep your food tightly sealed in secure storage containers until the time comes to prepare those holiday favorites. Check your shelves and cabinets for any tiny gaps that might allow pantry pests to enter. Clear the table immediately after eating and wash the dishes as soon as possible; don’t let them sit for too long.

2. Frozen, Leaky Pipes Provide Moisture for Pests

Winter in Minnesota means freezing temperatures, which can lead to plumbing pipe leaks and breaks. While you would probably recognize a serious break that floods your home right away, a slow dribble of water from a cracked pipe might go unnoticed. Even this tiny amount of water can attract and sustain pest infestations.

All animals require water to survive. The same cockroaches that might last for weeks without eating will die in days without a water source. These cockroaches, along with rodents and other vermin, may inhabit bathroom or kitchen spaces to consume leaking water.

Water leaks inside your walls or crawl spaces offer a happy holiday to termites. As the water softens and rots the wood, termites can chew through it more easily. Mice and rats may also join in the destruction, causing critical structural damage to your home.

Follow the usual recommended strategies to keep your pipes from freezing this winter. Wrap exposed pipes, open cabinets that contain pipes, and leave taps dripping overnight. For extra reassurance, schedule a plumbing inspection and get any obvious problems fixed as soon as possible.

3. Trees and Wreaths Can Harbor Termites

If you like to celebrate Christmas with all the traditional trimmings, you may find yourself hauling a massive fir tree into your living room, hanging wreaths on doors, and making other festive decorations from pine cones or other natural materials. Unfortunately, you may also bring wood-loving pests into your home at the same time.

Wood serves as a breeding ground for termites, who chew passageways through the fibers to create nests for their eggs. Some species of ants and spiders also lurk within the nooks and crannies of Christmas trees and wreaths. You might even bring a family of mice into your home without immediately realizing it.

The most obvious solution to this problem involves switching from natural wooden trees, wreaths, and other holiday decorations to artificial alternatives. If you insist on sticking with the real thing, check those trunks and branches thoroughly for any signs of infestation. Remember to also shake them vigorously before bringing them indoors.

4. Cockroaches Love Holiday Gifts

Everyone loves to give and receive presents during the holiday season. Cockroaches love these gifts too, but for a different reason. These pests have a natural attraction to cardboard boxes, including those that frequently house holiday presents.

Cardboard boxes offer welcome safety and security for cockroaches, who use them for molting, breeding, and egg-laying purposes. Cockroaches can even use cardboard as a food source. The more you reuse an old cardboard box from one year to the next, the more easily cockroaches can chew through the weakened material.

If you plan on packaging your gifts in cardboard boxes, use new boxes instead of old ones that have spent months in storage. Wait as long as reasonably possible before packing and wrapping the gifts. If you need to pre-wrap the gifts far in advance, keep them in tightly-sealed plastic bins so cockroaches can't get to them.

Don't let destructive pests sour your winter holiday cheer. Plan ahead for a pest-free holiday by contacting the experts at Paffy's Pest Control. We provide year-round services for the entire Twin Cities Metro area. Contact our team to schedule an inspection and any necessary pest treatment.