5 Tips For A Pest-Free Thanksgiving In Myrtle Beach

Pest prevention starts outside

Pests usually begin their journey to your home by getting onto your lawn. Once they’re on your property, it’s an easy trek to the exterior of your house. Eventually, they’ll find an opening that allows them to get inside.

Making your property unappealing to pests and your house hard to get into can help make pests less likely to get inside this Thanksgiving. To prevent pests around your yard, try the following tips:

• Keep your grass trimmed
• Remove lawn debris, such as branches and leaves.
• Eliminate food sources, such as bird feeders and pet food.
• Clean up vegetable gardens and fruit trees to remove rotting food.
• Make sure outdoor garbage bins have tightly fitting lids and are not stored beside your house.
• Address moisture issues around your property and ensure proper drainage around your house.
• Cut back vegetation and tree branches around the perimeter of your house so they don’t touch the sides or roof of your home.
• Seal cracks and crevices in your foundation.
• Repair gaps around windows and doors (including your crawl space door)
• Cover vents and other openings.

All these suggestions will make your yard less appealing to pests and make it harder for them to get inside if they come onto your property.

Be careful in the kitchen

Mice, cockroaches, and other pests need food to survive so they often come inside searching for it. Since the Thanksgiving season tends to be a time of year when people spend more time cooking and baking, there’s a higher likelihood that food will be left out where pests can find it.

Making your kitchen as pest-resistant as possible will help prevent pest infestation this Thanksgiving. These suggestions will help:

• Store all of your ingredients and food in hard containers with sealed lids.
• Wipe down pantry and cupboard shelves regularly to remove spills and messes.
• Wash dirty dishes immediately after use.
• Wipe down countertops after cooking, baking, or eating.
• Keep your sink clean and free of dishes and food debris.
• Sweep or vacuum the floor frequently.
• Take out the trash regularly.
• Do not leave any open food containers out.

While it can feel like you’re constantly cleaning your kitchen when cooking and baking for the big day, keeping it clean and free of crumbs and spills is vital to keeping pests out.

Cut back on clutter

Most pests prefer to remain out of sight. If your home has a lot of clutter, pests will find plenty of places to hide. Not only does this make it more likely that pests will stick around, but it also makes it harder for you to notice a pest infestation when it happens.

By eliminating as much clutter in and around your house as possible, you make it harder for pests to find places where they are comfortable. You also make it more likely that you’ll see any pests that get into your house. By identifying an infestation as early as possible, you can get it taken care of quickly and easily.

Travel smart

If you’re not staying home this Thanksgiving, it’s still possible to end up with a pest infestation upon your return to Myrtle Beach. The biggest pest threat when traveling is bed bugs. Bed bugs are pests that love to move from place to place. They are often found in hotels, and if you stay in an infested room, there’s a good chance you’ll bring some home with you. Even if you stay at someone’s house, you could end up with bed bugs. The following tips will help you avoid a bed bug infestation.

When you arrive at your destination, inspect the room you’re staying in before you bring your belongings inside. Look for live bed bugs, shed skins, eggs, and fecal matter. Check these areas:

• On mattresses, especially in the seams
• Between mattresses, box springs, and headboards
• On sheets and blankets
• Behind picture frames, clocks, and other things on the wall
• In dresser drawers
• In the seams of upholstered furniture
• In cracks in the floor and along the edges of the floor

Store your luggage on hard surfaces off the floor if you see no signs of bed bugs. When you return home, inspect everything for bed bugs before bringing your belongings indoors. Wash all clothing on a hot wash (if the fabric permits) and dry it before putting it away. 

If you find evidence of bed bugs, contact Harris Pest Control immediately for effective bed bug control in Myrtle Beach.

Sign up for routine pest control in Myrtle Beach!

The easiest way to ensure a pest-free Thanksgiving is to have regular pest control performed by Harris Pest Control. We’ve been protecting Pee Dee and Grand Strand area homes since 1973 and offer the complete coverage you need to keep pests out.

Our quarterly home pest control covers over 20 of the most common pests in Myrtle Beach. If you want to add termite control to the mix, we offer a pest and termite service. You can also take advantage of our premium service that covers 20+ pests, termites, and mosquitoes.

Don’t leave your Thanksgiving pest control to chance. Protect your family, friends, and food with help from Harris Pest Control. Contact us to discuss which pest control plan is right for you.