No, we are not talking about your mad uncle or interfering mother-in-law, but pests that often arrive at our doors during the festive holidays – rats and mice!
Essex Pest Control share some tips to keep rodent pests such as rats and mice at bay over Christmas – careful disposal of food, at a time when we throw away much more than at other times of year, is vital.
Make sure your only house guests this Christmas are the ones you’ve actually invited. At a time of year when we tend to throw away a lot of food – usually twice as much as at other times – it can act as an open invitation to the type of festive visits we can do without from creatures such as mice and rats.
A magnet for pests
In general terms, pests such as rodents are attracted to locations where food is to be found, especially if it’s been carelessly disposed of. At Christmas, it’s easy for food to accumulate as we buy in large quantities to feed our house full of guests and family.
We often find we don’t need all this food; along with leftovers some isn’t touched at all, so during the course of the festive season a lot can accumulate. This isn’t helped by the break in refuse collections over the holiday period, so rubbish bins can overflow and prove a temptation to the wrong type of visitors.
If you think you may already have a pest problem, it’s important to have it dealt with promptly. Get in touch with experienced professionals such as Essex Pest Control.
How to control food waste
A few steps can be taken to help keep the pests at bay.
- Try not to overdo the shopping – it’s easy to buy far too much food and the supermarkets are open soon after Christmas anyway if stocks run low.
- Ensure waste food is wrapped and plastic bin bags are secure – double bag if necessary.
- Don’t let rubbish bins overflow – there’s a risk of bags falling out and bursting.
- Do you really need to throw it away? Some foods can be kept and re-used.
Not sure when your bins are being collected? Check here for Colchester: http://www.colchester.gov.uk/christmasrecycling, or here for Chelmsford: http://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/collectionscalendar – or check your local borough council.
Photo credit: Christmas Rat by Steve Terrell
