PESTAWARE

The festive season is upon us and while we're drinking mulled wine or wrapping presents, the last thing we're thinking about is the possibility of letting pests into our grotto, right? 

Well that doesn't mean you can't adopt some simple habits to make sure that your Christmas stays pest-free. BPCA member company PestFix share some of their tips with us.

Here's some things to be mindful of over the festive season: 

• Seal your leftovers; a nice open plate of cold turkey and roasties is a perfect feast for rodents
• Got a four-pawed friend visiting? Check with the owner when they last had a flea treatment
• If you leave your bottled drinks cooling outside, be sure to wash them with soapy water: you don't know what animals have been investigating and potentially defecating around them
• Gulls and pigeons can get into rubbish bags when looking for an easy meal, so make sure your bin bags are in sealed waste bins to prevent rubbish littering your neighbourhood
• Staying away over Christmas? Check your hotel room for bed bugs on arrival - find advice on bed bugs on BPCA's A-Z of pests. As an added precaution, you can steam your luggage bag when you come home in case you've picked up some hitchhikers
• When pulling out the Christmas china or putting those presents in the loft ready for Christmas eve, you might come across some interesting faecal debris! Wash everything affected with hot soapy water and hire a professional to investigate the source of this poo. Contact an expert pest controller in your area at bpca.org.uk/find

And the most important advice of all: have a very merry Christmas! 

Source: Pestfix press release