5 Types of Holiday Decor that Attracts Pests

5 Types of Holiday Decor that Attract Pests

Holiday decor is one of the most popular features of this season because everyone can choose their own decor based on their personal traditions and tastes. Whether you prefer to buy new trendy decor every year or to pull out the countless bins of your family’s decorations, there is certainly no shortage of holiday cheer once the whole house is decorated! It’s fun to look at all of the festive decor in homes and businesses, but we are not the only ones who enjoy holiday decorations. Believe it or not, seasonal decor is also susceptible to pests for a few reasons. If the decorations are stored in flimsy boxes or you only use natural decor, there is generally a higher risk of attracting pests that could invade the rest of your home in the future. Let’s discuss five common Christmas decorations that could attract and house any nearby pests, as well as the best ways to prevent any creepy-crawlies from ruining your holly-jolly decor this year.

Christmas Tree

As the centerpiece to the standard holiday decor, it’s essential for the Christmas tree to be pest-free. If your family has the tradition of picking out a real tree every year, part of the selection process should be inspecting it for any signs of pests. These types of trees are favored by many pests because they can easily hide within the lush branches and find food sources in the same tree. Spiders, praying mantises, and mites are some of the most common Christmas tree-invaders. We recommend staying away from any trees in the group that have multiple spiderwebs or a rodent nest. Throughout the holiday season, give your tree a quick once-over to see if any hidden pests are beginning to make themselves known. The heat of the home and bustling activity of its residents can cause any nearby pests to take refuge in the tree.

Conversely, if your household prefers the convenience of a fake Christmas tree, it is still a good idea to check it throughout the month for any signs of pests. When the tree is in storage for most of the year, it could be invaded by some tiny pests searching for a warm, isolated shelter. Spiders and rodents in particular love to live in stored items, so they will be drawn to a tree-filled box during the off-season. Inspect your fake tree before setting it up inside, and keep an eye out for any new spiderwebs or tiny pests that pop up as we get further into the month. The last thing you need this season is to find out that your Christmas tree is adorned with more than just ornaments and lights!

Candy Canes

The quintessential Christmas treat just might be the candy cane. Even if you don’t like to actually eat them — peppermint isn’t for everyone — there is no denying that these red-and-white candies are a classic staple of the season. Some people like to stretch the purpose of candy canes to also include decor by hanging a few on the Christmas tree or scattering them around the tabletop decorations for extra pizzaz. However, since candy canes are edible sweets that we enjoy, it automatically means that multiple pests will find these treats delicious as well. 

Desserts of all kinds attract pests because they like to consume sugary foods that will give them the energy to continue scavenging and caring for their kind. Ants, roaches, and rodents love sweets and will eat just about anything that is accessible to them, such as candy canes randomly scattered around the home. You can still utilize these candies in your holiday decor with some adjustments. One option is to keep all of them completely wrapped and at least a few feet off the floor. This will prevent pests from smelling opened sweets and being able to easily access them. Another way to prevent hungry pests from finding your candy canes is to save them for days when you have guests and then promptly removing the candies before they sit out for too long and unintentionally invite some annoying pests to the party.

Baked Goods

The holiday season encourages baking more than any other time of year by a long shot. Between leaving out cookies for Santa and making a festive dessert to share with your family on a snowy day, December is definitely a time for baking sweet treats. It’s also common practice to exchange homemade desserts with loved ones, which is how our kitchen counters become cluttered with plastic containers and filled zip-top bags before long. If the desserts are not contained in a sealed vessel or kept in the fridge, they are a major attractant for some of the most annoying pests in existence. Any type of food-loving pest — ants, roaches, rodents, beetles — will do whatever it takes to get into an open container of freshly baked goods.

Some baked goods are too large or oddly-shaped to fit inside an airtight container, which is how they end up on the counter and completely vulnerable to pests. For as much flack as it gets (and rightfully so, in our opinion), fruitcake is still a common holiday dessert that is often large enough to leave out on the counter. If it’s left open, the fruitcake will attract just about any pest in the immediate vicinity. Another large holiday treat is the classic gingerbread house. It’s a fun experience to decorate one of these, but if the gingerbread house is left out for a days on end, it could end up becoming a pest family’s actual home! For baked goods that cannot fit into traditional containers, the best way to prevent pests from finding them is to wrap them in plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge. It’s better to have to heat up a cold brownie than to find your neighbor’s plate of sweets covered in ants. 

Festive Florals

Although the cold weather naturally discourages most foliage from blooming, there are still some flowers and plants that thrive this time of year. Poinsettia, mistletoe, real Christmas trees, and live wreaths can contain pests in a few different ways. One way is if the pests are already living within the plant before it’s brought home with you, which is certainly getting more than you bargained for. Smaller insects and spiders can hide within a plant and avoid being seen until they are brought inside a warm home, where they can then scatter from their original hiding place. 

If the plants don’t already have pests, they can easily gain them when the plant is kept outside for a longer period of time. A wreath hanging on the front door is quite an attractive shelter for any tiny insects searching for a warmer place. If the plant has any extra decor — ribbon, pinecones, ornaments — it will hide creepy-crawlies even more effectively. Before you bring any greenery inside your home (real or fake), shake it off outside first. This will dislodge any hidden pests and help you to ensure that you aren’t bringing any unwanted passengers indoors. At the end of the holiday season, make sure to properly store any fake greenery. There are all kinds of festive plastic containers on the market today, so you can safely keep all of your holiday decorations in a lidded vessel that keeps invasive pests out. 

Garlands

Garlands are easy additions to any part of the home that seems to be lacking in holiday cheer, like the stairs banister or the entertainment center. These decorations come in all textures, colors, and sizes these days, so you can choose which type of garlands to show off amidst your holiday decor. Pine garlands — both real and fake — are timeless classics that provide the appeal of a Christmas tree in other parts of the home. Unfortunately, they are favored by other creatures for more than the pleasing appearance; spiders like to invade pine garlands because they can hide amidst the needles as they wait for their prey to venture nearby.

Another common type of garland is the food garland, which has fallen out of popular favor but is still a favorite among many households. Popcorn garlands and cranberry garlands are both commonly draped on the Christmas tree. This unfortunately gives pests the opportunity to have both food and a warm shelter in one easy place. If you prefer to stick with the classics, we recommend saving any edible garlands for holiday gatherings or Christmas Day, rather than leaving them up all season long. Or, if you’d rather be safe than sorry, opt for a fake popcorn or cranberry garland over a real one. No matter which types of garlands you like to display in your home, we recommend doing two tasks that we have already said in this blog (you can probably guess which ones). Number one, shake out your garlands outside before bringing them in, just to be sure that there aren’t any hitchhiking pests. And number two, store all fake garlands properly in the off-season by keeping them in sealed containers. This holiday season is a time for festive decor and family traditions, not for a hidden pest army in your decorations!

Deck The Halls With Services From Pointe Pest Control!

With all of the festivities and freezing temperatures, pest problems are often the last things on our minds. But the unfortunate fact is that pests never take a vacation from invading our homes and businesses, even during the winter months. These tiny critters like to overwinter in warm shelters where they can remain undetected by any people or pets — which will create a real headache for you in the future. At Pointe Pest Control, we believe that a pest-free home is essential in every season. Our team of highly-trained technicians is committed to solving each pest issue with the utmost care and efficiency. We begin every service with a complete inspection of the property before using our findings to create a customized treatment plan that will target each specific pest issue. Our non-toxic treatments will both eliminate current pests and prevent future ones, so you can rest assured that we will keep you pest-free all year long. Contact us today for a free quote on our reliable pest control services that are truly the gift that keeps on giving. 

Citations

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Crow, S. (2021, November 5). 6 holiday decorations that attract spiders. BestLife. Available at https://bestlifeonline.com/news-holiday-decorations-spiders/ (Accessed on November 30, 2023).

Pelshaw, R. (2015, December 7). 5 ways to prevent rodents from chewing on your Christmas lights. My Bat Guy. Available at https://www.batremovalandprevention.com/5-ways-to-prevent-rodents-from-chewing-on-your-christmas-lights/ (Accessed on November 30, 2023).

Top 5 Christmas decorations that attract pests. (2014, December 4). Vulcan Termite. Retrieved November 30, 2023, from https://www.vulcantermite.com/seasonalpests/top-5-christmas-decorations-attract-pests/