Easy Ways to Prevent Pest Infestations Before Going on Vacation

Easy Ways to Prevent Pest Infestations Before Leaving on Vacation

Spring is finally here, and that means fun road trips and vacations! There is nothing better than going on a family trip to relax and have fun together. There are many steps you have to take before going on a vacation, even if it’s a weekend getaway. You have to pack clothes, toiletries, and entertainment, as well as make sure that any pets not going on the trip are taken care of. But one area of tasks that may fly under the radar is pest control. If there aren’t any pests currently causing problems, it is easy to forget that they can appear at any time. There are some easy steps you can take before departing on your vacation that will keep any unwanted houseguests away, and allow you to come home to a clean, pest-free home.

Chore Time!

Cleaning your home before leaving town provides a few benefits. There is nothing better than coming home to a clean space after being away for a few days. It also gives you a head start on your week if you come back Sunday night, so that you don’t have to worry about doing chores before going back to work or school. But another great reason for doing a quick clean before taking off is to remove all of the possible items that would attract insects and rodents. You don’t have to do a full-on, deep clean of every single part of the home. This is just completing the basic chores so that your home is a clean slate while you are gone. 

Here are the most important chores to complete before vacation:

• Laundry: Laundry doesn’t seem like an important task to complete in the world of pests, but it actually helps a great deal. Many pests like to hide within dirty laundry piles to nest and reproduce, like rats and mice. Other pests, like roaches and ants, are attracted to the food stains and organic material on the dirty clothes. You don’t have to do a load of laundry right before getting in the car to leave, but it may help to do as much as you can the night before. Also, you can prioritize washing the clothes with stains first to eliminate the obvious pest attractors. The smaller the laundry pile is, the less pests are likely to come into your home while you are gone.

• Clean Out the Fridge: It is easy to believe that because the food and drinks are inside the fridge, they are safe from pests. But this may not be the case. It’s not necessary to completely clear out the fridge before vacation, but it can help prevent pest invasions. It will also prevent any food from going bad and making your fridge smell bad. Try to finish any very perishable items before leaving town. Dairy items like milk, cheese, and yogurt are notable for going bad quickly. This may not be detrimental if you are just gone for a couple of days, but a week-long vacation definitely warrants an emptier fridge. Another tip along the same vein is to polish off any leftovers before leaving. Any leftover meals and meat will be a smelly pest-attractor if they are left in the fridge long enough, so it would be better to either eat them or trash them before leaving town. 

• Seal All Food: Speaking of food, make sure to seal all open food before leaving. This is a good practice to get into every day, but it is crucial when you won’t be around for a few days. Use a chip clip or binder clip on opened chip bags, and place inside a zip-top bag for good measure. Opened bread and pasta can be placed in the fridge for extra security. Pantry pests, like moths and small beetles, love to invade opened dry goods, so these steps can eliminate the smells and crumbs that draw them in. Opened cereals can also be chip-clipped, or put inside plastic push-top containers for extra freshness and security. 

• Take Out Trash and Recycling: Pests of all kinds love trash and recycling items as sources of food and shelter, and a full trash or recycling bin is paradise for them. This chore is most easily done right before getting in the car and leaving town for paradise. Since you are likely to use the trash right up until the last minute by throwing out snack wrappers, emptied food containers, and empty toiletry containers, it wouldn’t be productive to take the trash out way before leaving. If you want to take out the large trash and recycling bins from the kitchen the night before to save time, you could make a smaller trash bag out of an old plastic grocery store bag to serve you until departure.

• Clean Surfaces and Floors: This is another simple task that can be done daily in order to reduce the number of pests attracted to your home. Any crumbs and spills on countertops are attractive to pests, like ants, roaches, and rodents, that love human food. Clean surfaces aren’t very appealing to them because they look for safe shelter with reliable food sources. Use a disinfecting wipe or spray for the most effective cleaning; it is beneficial to remove the invisible bacteria and germs along with the crumbs. It could also help to do a quick vacuuming and sweeping of the floors in your home in order to get rid of all dust, hair, and crumbs that attract pests who are looking for materials to build a nest with. 

House Inspection

This is a good idea to do even when you aren’t going on vacation for a while. Check for leaks, cracks, and holes throughout the home. Many pests, like roaches and mosquitoes, are very attracted to moisture. Leaks that cause puddles to form under cabinets or in the garage are open invitations for pests. Cracks and holes in the foundation and walls are easy access points for common pests, even ones that you think are too big to fit. Mice can fit through cracks the width of a pencil, so no crack is too small for concern. If the leak, crack, or hole can be easily fixed, you could take care of it before leaving. Caulk and copper mesh are great sealant materials that are available at any hardware store. If any of them are too much for a simple DIY project, try to schedule a professional service before your vacation. If it’s too late and you’re leaving soon, there are temporary measures you can use until you get back. Towels can be wrapped around pipes and placed on puddles of larger leaks. A quick walkthrough of the inside and outside of your home can save you a big headache when you return from vacation. 

Check All Doors and Windows

While it is important to make sure all doors and windows are locked and closed for safety reasons, it is also important for pest control. An open door or window is an obvious entry point for pests, but it’s beneficial to look for any small cracks and gaps near the entry points that an insect or rodent could use. These can be sealed with the aforementioned caulk and copper mesh, as well as adhesive-back rubber and weather stripping. Sealing openings near doors and windows will also keep rain and wind outside instead of ruining the inside of your house. You could do an inspection during the process of checking for leaks and holes, and then one final check that everything is closed before loading up the car and heading on your way to a fun-filled vacation.

Get Pest Control Services First

If you have been experiencing pest issues recently or you know certain ones always come around this time of year, it might be a good idea to schedule pest control services before you leave. This is easier if you have been planning this vacation for a while, since you can schedule the service well in advance. Our team is available every month of the year to serve you, and our treatments are all EPA-approved so you don’t have harsh chemicals floating around your home.  Vacation should be a time of fun and relaxation, not a time for worrying about pests moving into your home while you’re away.

Citations

Latham, K. (2020, May 13). Bug-free vacation: Travel pest control tips. Insect Cop. Available at https://insectcop.net/travel-pest-control-tips/ (Accessed on March 25, 2022). 

How to seal gaps around windows and why it’s important. (n.d.). Feldco. Retrieved on March 25, 2022, from https://www.4feldco.com/articles/seal-gaps-around-windows/