4 Key Actions for a Pest Free Christmas
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When you’re entertaining family and friends at Christmas, you want your house to look its best. You certainly don’t want the horror of a stray cockroach or the annoyance of mosquitoes driving everyone inside.
By following our 4 step Christmas action plan, you can have a pest free home this Christmas.
Step 1: General Maintenance (Pest Prevention)
- Prune back plants around the perimeter of your home
- Fill any cracks or holes in walls and around doors and windows
- Make sure insect screens and draft excluders are well fitted and in good condition
- Get rid of any waste wood / unwanted building materials around your home
- Eliminate sources of standing water (potential mosquito breeding sites)
- Ensure all rubbish is placed in bags in solid bins with well fitting lids (ideally away from the house)
- Store food in sealed, insect proof containers
- Clean potential kitchen pest sources on a regular basis; cooker, dishwasher, toaster, microwave and pantry
- Do not leave dirty dishes, spilled food and food waste lying around
- Do not leave pet food out / on floor
- Give home a thorough vacuum, especially around edges of rooms and under furniture / dark places
Ensure rubbish is placed in sealed bins away from the house
Our complete list of pest prevention tips
Step 2: DIY Pest Control Spray to Exterior
Use a long lasting residual spray to treat the following areas to target insect hiding places and prevent them entering the home.
- The perimeter of the house – 1m up the wall and 1m out from the wall
- Around windows and doors, cracks / crevices and other insect entry points
- Under eaves
- Under the sub-floor (if you have one)
- Around and under decking and pergolas
- Around and under the BBQ and outdoor settings
- Around bins and drains
Step 3: DIY Mosquito Control for Yard
If you have a mosquito problem, the exterior mosquito pest spray should be extended to cover additional mosquito hiding places, such as the underside of large leafed plants around the perimeter of the home and along the fence line.
Eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites mentioned in step 1, are a vital action as well – unblock gutters and drains, and items with pooled water and pot plants should be emptied every two weeks.
Step 4: DIY Cockroach Control to Interior
If you have good maintenance and have carried out a good perimeter spray, you’re unlikely to have much of a pest problem inside. However, if you have an existing problem or known potential hot spots, consider using a cockroach fogger or flea bomb to treat individual rooms; an insecticide spray (cockroach spray) to treat around the perimeter of rooms, under and behind cupboards, furniture, fridges and ovens; and sprays and cockroach baits inside kitchen cupboards (remove food and crockery before spraying).
Plan to do this at least 2 weeks before Christmas to ensure your home is pest free – we can all do with one less stress when we’re entertaining this holiday season!
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Author:
Gordon Reidy has over 30 years experience in Pest Control Product Development and Product Safety. As the lead formulator at PestXpert, he has helped develop some of Australia’s most trusted household pest solutions. With a PhD in Toxicology, Gordon is passionate about delivering effective, science-backed products that are safe for families and the environment.
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