What Wylie homeowners should check before bringing holiday boxes inside

Some people decorate for Christmas the moment Halloween ends.

Others believe the turkey deserves its moment.

Whichever calendar your Wylie home follows, there eventually comes a day when you head into the attic, garage, or storage closet to retrieve the holiday decorations.

There’s the wreath.

The ornaments.

The string of lights you distinctly remember putting away neatly.

And possibly something you didn’t pack.

Before those boxes reach your living room, a little inspection can help keep unwanted passengers from joining the decorating committee.

A quiet box can make a comfortable hiding place
Holiday decorations spend much of the year undisturbed.

For pests that favor secluded spaces, the areas around stored boxes can provide places to hide. Web-building spiders, for example, often establish themselves in quiet, out-of-the-way locations. Reducing accumulated boxes, papers, and clutter helps reduce those hiding places.

That doesn’t mean every decoration box contains a pest.

It does mean “I haven’t opened this since January” is a good reason to look before reaching inside.

Whether your decorations spend the year above the garage or tucked into a storage closet, give them a quick inspection before bringing them into your Wylie living room.

Inspect before you relocate
Before carrying every container straight to the sofa, inspect boxes and their contents in a well-lit area outside when practical.

Look over the bottom, corners, handles, and lid before opening a container. As you unpack, watch for:

• Live insects or spiders.
• Webbing or egg sacs.
• Gnaw marks or holes.
• Shredded packing material.
• Droppings or nesting material.

Stored decoration boxes can shelter insects and rodents, and inspecting them before bringing them into living areas can help you spot a problem sooner.

Lift items individually so you can see what you’re handling. Avoid reaching blindly into folded fabric or the bottom of a box.

The only surprise you’re hoping for is finding the ornament you thought you lost.

Pay attention to paper, fabric, and damp storage
A damaged decoration doesn’t always point to the same culprit.

Silverfish can damage stored belongings, and they may turn up when their hiding places are disturbed. These insects feed on various starchy materials, including glues used in cardboard and book bindings, and favor damp storage conditions.

As you unpack decorations at your Wylie home, pay attention to the condition of the containers, too. If you notice silverfish, damp boxes, or signs of a leak, consider the storage environment as well as the affected item.

Addressing excess moisture and unnecessary clutter can help make the area less suitable for them.

Replacing a damaged box is useful. Finding out why it became damp is useful, too.

Some decorations belong on the pantry checklist
Remember the pantry inspection from our first November blog?

It applies to certain decorations as well.

Items made with dried corn, seeds, nuts, or other dried plant materials can provide food for stored-product pests. A decorative arrangement may be meaningful to you and edible to an insect.

Whether you’re setting out a Thanksgiving centerpiece or unpacking a favorite holiday arrangement, check these items for insects, holes, or other damage before putting them on display.

If you find activity, inspect nearby stored items rather than assuming the problem is confined to one decoration.
The centerpiece should attract compliments.

That’s enough visitors.

If you find rodent evidence, pause the unpacking
Gnawed packaging, nesting material, or suspected rodent droppings deserve a different response from ordinary dust.

Avoid shaking out potentially contaminated decorations or sweeping or vacuuming droppings. Follow the CDC’s guidance for cleaning up after rodents, and get help assessing the situation if needed.

Set the decorating schedule aside long enough to understand what you’ve found.

The garland can wait.

Make next year’s unpacking easier
As you empty containers this season, note which ones need replacing.

Sturdy plastic bins with tight-fitting lids offer better protection than worn cardboard boxes or loosely closed bags.

Check that lids close securely and that containers have no cracks or damaged corners.

Clean and thoroughly dry decorations before storing them again, and keep the surrounding storage area organized so you can inspect it more easily. These habits can help reduce opportunities for pests to settle in between holidays.

A label that says “Christmas decorations” is helpful to you.

A secure lid is more useful for keeping unwanted visitors out.

Bring out the memories. Check for the passengers.
Decorating your Wylie home should be about familiar ornaments, family traditions, and deciding whether you have room for one more festive thing.

A quick inspection can help you catch pest activity before you spread boxes and their contents throughout your home.

If you discover unwanted activity in your attic, garage, or storage areas, contact Home Run Pest & Termite Control at 972-800-6354 or visit homerunpest.com.

We knock bugs out of the park.

Because you packed the decorations.

You didn’t invite roommates.