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October through December is the peak holiday season for families around the globe, as dozens of religious and traditional celebrations occur this time of year. No holiday celebration would be complete without an endless buffet of sweet and savory foods often accompanying the festivities.
Unfortunately, the overabundance of food also can mean homes and businesses are primed for stored product pests (SPP) and other pest issues, as a long list of hungry arthropods will be waiting to take advantage of any leftovers. Here are three tips to offer your clients now to avoid the inevitable post-season callbacks after the dust settles and the holidays are over.
1. Pest prevention always will be your first line of defense. For SPP, this means proper storage of dried foods. Over the holiday season, kitchen pantries often become stocked with ingredients that may not be used again for months. These items often sit undisturbed where they can become a target for a new infestation, or they may even serve as the source of a new introduction if they already are infested. To protect these goods, recommend your clients store food items in hard plastic or glass containers with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Dried goods such as nuts, spices and flour may be commonly infested items, but they are not the only potential food sources for insects looking for an easy meal. Many holiday decorations also can contain edible materials such as dried flowers, feathers and furs that can attract hungry pests. To protect seasonal decorations from damage and avoid any unwanted guests next year when decorations are unpacked again, encourage your clients to ditch the cardboard boxes and store holiday decorations in sealable storage containers made of plastic or metal.
3. Be sure to review a recommended course of action for your client in the event an unfortunate pest encounter does occur. Some helpful steps may include contacting you at the first signs of any pest activity, containing and removing any infested items as soon as possible, and saving pest samples for positive identification.
Read more tips to combat pests during the holiday season:
<p>The post How to keep pests off the holiday guest list first appeared on Pest Management Professional.</p>
from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2024/10/30/how-to-keep-pests-off-the-holiday-guest-list/
Sacramento CA
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