As the holiday dust settles in the North Bay, your post-celebration cleanup is crucial for preventing winter pest infestations.
While you might be tempted to leave the deep cleaning until January 2nd, here is a sobering thought: pests don’t take a holiday break. In fact, the aftermath of holiday cheer is exactly what they’ve been waiting for.
The combination of abundant food scraps, overflowing trash bins, and cardboard clutter creates the perfect storm for rodents, cockroaches, and ants looking to escape the North Bay winter chill.
Before you settle in for a long winter’s nap, follow this essential post-holiday cleanup guide to ensure the only guests in your home for the New Year are the ones you invited.
1. The Kitchen Lockdown: Securing the Feast
Your kitchen just survived a marathon of cooking and baking. Crumb trails and sticky spills are inevitable, but leaving them unchecked is an open invitation to ants and cockroaches.
- The Deep Sweep: Move the stove and refrigerator if you can. You’d be shocked at how many holiday cookie crumbs and bits of stuffing find their way underneath appliances. These forgotten morsels are a feast for pests.
- Airtight Everything: Do not leave leftover holiday cookies, nuts, or candies out in open bowls. Transfer all leftovers and pantry staples (like that half-used bag of flour) into sealed, airtight glass or hard plastic containers.
- Wipe Down Cabinets: Wipe the fronts of cupboards and the counters thoroughly to remove invisible sugary residues that attract ants.
2. Taming the Trash Mountain
The amount of waste generated during the holidays is staggering. Wrapping paper, food packaging, and leftovers can quickly overwhelm your outdoor bins.
- Lid Discipline: An overflowing bin where the lid won’t close completely is a beacon for raccoons, rats, and mice. If your bins are full, double-bag excess trash and store it in a secure garage or shed until pickup day—don’t leave bags sitting on the ground outside.
- Break Down the Boxes: We mentioned this before the holidays, and it’s even more important now. Do not stack whole cardboard boxes from gifts next to your recycling bin. Cardboard provides insulation and shelter for rodents. Break every box down flat immediately.
3. Packing Up the Decor (The Right Way)
When it’s time to take down the tree and pack away the garlands, how you store them matters just as much as where you store them.
- Ditch the Cardboard: If you are still using the original cardboard boxes to store your ornaments and lights in the attic or garage, it’s time for an upgrade. Cardboard degrades over time and is easily chewed through by rodents looking for nesting material.
- Switch to Plastic: Invest in clear, sealable plastic totes. They are waterproof, chew-proof, and allow you to see what’s inside without opening them. This is the single best defense against finding a spider infestation in your decorations next December.
- Tree Disposal: If you had a real tree, get it out of the house as soon as the needles start dropping excessively. Dry needles are a fire hazard and a messy hideout for small bugs. Check your local Benicia or North Bay waste management guidelines for tree recycling pickup dates.
Start the New Year Pest-Free
The end of the year is a time for fresh starts and peace of mind. You don’t want to carry a pest problem into 2026.
By taking a few extra hours now to clean thoroughly and store things properly, you are building a defensive barrier around your home.
However, if the holiday chaos has already invited some unwanted six-legged guests, don’t wait until spring to deal with it. Pests reproduce quickly in warm homes during the winter.
If you spot signs of rodents or insects during your cleanup, contact North Point Pest Solutions immediately. Let us handle the pests so you can enjoy a happy, healthy, and bug-free New Year!
