From cookies and pies to family members and long-lost friends, we all enjoy what the holidays can bring. Unfortunately, holidays and the cold weather can also bring unwanted house guests into your home: PESTS!

Andrea Vogt with Target Specialty Products and a Debug the Myths spokeswoman, recently appeared on Sacramento & Company to talk about things homeowners should be doing in and around their home this holiday season to protect themselves, their families, and their property from pests.

Pests are looking for warmth and food sources as soon as the temperature goes down. Homeowners should follow the INSPECT acronym to identify, solve, and prevent pest problems.

Andrea focused on certain pests that cause a lot of problems during the holiday season. Check to see if you’re having any of the problems below:

• Cockroaches – They can spread salmonella in our food and are an asthma irritant for kids.
• Rodents and silverfish – Hiding in your attic or crawl space with all of your Christmas decorations.
• Weeds – Fertilizing in the fall is the key to having healthy grass in the spring and decreasing weed pressures.

If you want to view Andrea’s full interview with Sacramento & Company, click here.

Today is Friday, the last day of National Inspect and Protect Week, and you are going to discover the importance of treating your pest problems.

As part of the I.N.S.P.E.C.T. process, it is important to realize that this is a comprehensive method that works best when all the steps are accurately followed. Treating your pest problems without first investigating or studying will only allow for continued and reoccurring problems. So dedicate time and effort to applying each step for the most beneficial results in safeguarding your home from adverse health effects and costly structure damage these little critters can cause.

There are multiple pest management options available, many of which can be combined for the most effective results which is also known as Integrated Pest Management or IPM.  If you choose to apply a pesticide to rid your problems, make sure you have properly identified the pest and use only the appropriate pesticides and amounts for treatment. Reading and following the label on pesticides is not only the law, but also allows you to make sure it is suited for the problem you wish to treat and is not harmful to your family and home. Familiarizing yourself with the problems at hand and available treatment procedures will make sure you’ve found the best product for your situation. If you ever have questions or cannot make the application yourself, contact pest or lawn care professionals for support.

Learn more about purchasing a pest control product here, and watch Janet’s video for inside pointers on treating your home. Remember to INvestigate, Study and Prepare, Eliminate, Clean and Treat for taking strategic approaches in identifying, controlling and preventing against unwarranted invaders.

Thanks for learning how to inspect and protect your home this week. For any information you may have missed or for additional tips, you can always visit Debug the Myths to help you solve those unwanted pest problems.

Over the past month, we have focused on several regions with common pest issues, educating homeowners on controlling swarms of pests that may be harmful to families and their homes this fall.

In the southwest, we warned homeowners how the oppressive heat and extreme drought during the past few months is causing increases in pest populations and provided tips on how to safeguard homes from pests on the prowl for water.

With a large deer population in the northeast, we educated residents about the risks of deer tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease and ways to protect themselves when venturing outdoors this fall.

In the southeast, where ants are running rampant, tips were provided to ensure residents don’t become vulnerable to these creepy crawlers infesting yards and homes.

Finally we headed west, targeting bed bugs that have waged war on densely-populated cities. We offered tips on properly eradicating these resilient pests and preventing future home invasions.

And now, the time has finally come. Tomorrow officially begins National Inspect and Protect Week.

Make sure to tune in every day this week for the tools and information you need, as homeowners, to prevent pests from making their way into your home environment this fall and winter seasons. This week’s goal is to take you through the simple, yet effective I.N.S.P.E.C.T. process. By INvestigating, Studying, Preparing, Eliminating, Cleaning and Treating, you can effectively identify pest problems as they arise, control and successfully treat the problems and prevent future harm to families and homes from pests.

To learn about these tips and more, visit Debut the Myth. Be sure to contact us with any questions about pest problems in your regions.