Tuesday Tips: Inspect Your Decorations Before You Set Them Out

Seasonal decorations are fun to unpack, but they also spend most of the year stored in garages, attics, and sheds. Those quiet, undisturbed spaces are the perfect hiding spots for spiders, wasps, ants, silverfish, and even rodents. Before you bring your décor inside, a quick inspection can prevent a surprise encounter and stop pests from hitching a ride into your home.

This week’s Tuesday Tips breaks down how to safely check decorations and storage boxes so you can enjoy the season without accidental visitors.

1. Start with the storage box

Before opening anything, look over the outside of the container. Cardboard boxes are especially attractive to pests. Check for small chew marks, gaps, droppings, webbing, or anything that looks out of place. If you use plastic bins, make sure the lid is still tight and hasn’t warped.

2. Open containers outdoors when possible

Taking boxes straight inside gives pests a direct path into your home. Open them in the garage or outside, then gently shake or tap the container to dislodge anything hiding at the top.

3. Shake out soft items

Garlands, wreaths, plush décor, and fabric banners can hold spiders, egg sacs, and dust mites. Give them a shake outside to clear out anything settled deep within the material.

4. Inspect artificial greenery carefully

Fake trees, wreaths, and garlands mimic natural shelter. Spiders, wasps, and beetles frequently hide between the branches. Spread branches gently and check for webs, dead insects, or clumps of debris.

5. Wipe down hard surfaces

Ceramic, plastic, or metal pieces can collect dust, droppings, or pheromone trails from ants. A quick wipe with a damp cloth helps remove anything pests left behind and makes the décor look fresh.

6. Discard items with signs of activity

If something has chew marks, heavy webbing, or droppings, it is best to toss it. Rodent droppings and urine can carry bacteria, and insect debris can cause lingering odors. Replacing one item is easier than dealing with an infestation later.

The takeaway

A few minutes of inspection saves you from unexpected spiders on the walls, ants in the kitchen, or rodents tracking debris into your living space. If you see signs of activity in storage areas or you have concerns about pests moving in, we can inspect and treat before the season gets busy.