When you enjoy home decorating, every season has a special holiday that gives you a reason to add a few special touches around the house. While your mind may be focused on setting up that outdoor display, this is also a great time to give your storage space a quick check for signs of rodent and insect activity. Since many storage spaces are in places where humans rarely go such as garages or attics, it is common for pests to take up residence there first. This season, avoid an upsetting surprise by keeping an eye out for these signs that you have a pest control problem in your storage space.

Discovering Droppings

Pests frequently leave droppings, and these can, unfortunately, harbor dangerous diseases. For instance, rats can carry the hantavirus, which is transmissible to humans. As disgusting as it may seem, droppings can often help to identify the type of pest that you have in your house since the size and shape can vary even between mice and rats. If you find droppings, leave them undisturbed and arrange for pest control services to come and identify the culprit.

Finding Shredded Materials

Wild animals often create nests out of just about anything, and they especially like soft materials such as tinsel and stuffing. Ideally, you should store your seasonal décor in plastic bins with strong lids that deter animals from getting into them. However, you may still find that animals such as raccoons can sometimes still get inside. Watch out for shredded boxes, cushions and other materials that signal that an animal is using them to build a nest somewhere in your home.

Hearing Strange Noises

When you enter a rarely used storage area, you should expect to hear quiet. While an animal or insects may hide when you enter the room, they are not always able to be quiet for long. Listen for a few minutes to see if you hear noises such as scurrying or squeaks that cannot be explained by normal house sounds. If you do hear a noise, try to identify what part of the room it is coming from so that you can point the technician in the right direction when they arrive to perform pest control services.

Every year, you put away your seasonal decorations with special care so that it will be just like you left it when the next holiday rolls around again. Make sure that your favorite decorations are preserved by ensuring that your storage space remains pest-free throughout the year.