Halloween décor is meant to be spooky. But you don’t want it crawling with bugs when you pull it from storage next season. Nor do you want it causing bug problems that plague your home year round.
How is this even possible? Consider the tombstones, skeletons, giant spiderwebs and other outdoor decorations creating a spooky scene in your yard.
While sure to scare and delight the neighbours, decor can become the perfect place for creepy crawlies to shelter from the coming cold.
The cracks, crevices and folds of decorations are ideal hiding spots for earwigs, stink bugs and queen wasps to overwinter. It’s the perfect location for spiders to lay their egg sacs, especially if décor is situated near a spotlight or porch light. (Lights attract small flying insects, which are prey for spiders. Spiders lay eggs near lights so their young can find food to survive.) Moths also may lay eggs on décor made with natural fibers.
When Halloween is over and decorations get packed away in basements, attics and closets, these stowaways come along for the ride. And that’s when it can get interesting.
The horror of moths
The experts at PestHQ, Ontario’s leading supplier of DIY pest control products, often hear of scary surprises tied to Halloween décor.
One customer put away Halloween costumes only to find clothes moth larvae had devoured her wigs in between seasons. When she opened the box the following Halloween, she was met with a horrible sight.
“It was gross,” she recalled. Parts of the wigs were missing hair, and she could see small white larvae throughout. She quickly threw out the wigs and all the other costume items in the box.
But clothes moths have a knack for infesting other fabrics. If you accidently bring them inside, they can easily spread throughout the house.
The caterpillar-like larva turn into pupae, which eventually transform into adult moths. The adult moths seek out natural fibers on which to lay eggs. This includes wool, cashmere, leather, silk, feathers and fur. Larvae hatch from the eggs and eat the fibers, starting the cycle all over again.
Clothes moths are the cause of holes in sweaters, blankets, fiber artwork, even the missing fur on taxidermy.
How to keep moths and other pests from coming indoors with décor
Pest HQ experts suggested three ways to prevent an infestation of clothes moths, as well as problems with spiders, stink bugs, earwigs and other pests:
Inspect – Before stowing décor indoors, examine items closely. Look for harboring insects and egg sacs. This goes for all outdoor items that get stored. A customer told Pest HQ of wasps invading her home in winter. Turns out there was a nest in the folds of the patio umbrella, stored in the basement. Central heating spurred the wasps to action.
Clean – Wipe down décor and launder or dry clean costumes, especially those containing natural fibers. Moths prefer clothing that is soiled with food stains and perspiration.
Monitor – Place insect monitors in the basement, attic or closet near stored holiday décor. The devices are non-toxic and help you gauge insect activity. They attract insects using light, scent or pheromones and trap them with a sticky adhesive. Check monitors regularly. If they show pest activity, you may want to take additional control measures.
Three ways to monitor pest activity
Three types of professional-grade monitors can help homeowners stay ahead of pest problems:
Moth pheromone traps lure and kill male clothes moths using a chemical scent. This stops the breeding cycle: Female moths don’t lay eggs, which don’t hatch into hungry larva. Get professional tips for using moth pheromone traps.
Flying insect traps help eliminate mosquitoes, flies, moths and wasps. Find the best trap for a specific kind of flying insect.
Crawling insect traps eliminate spiders, crickets, earwigs, roaches and centipedes. These and other insects travel along hard edges, so place traps on the floor parallel to the baseboard. Or on a counter or shelf in line with the backsplash or wall. Pest HQ recommends the Catchmaster Crawling Pest & Insect Trap for best results.
Order insect monitors online from Pest HQ. Items ship fast or can be picked up at our headquarters: 7 Meridian Rd, Etobicoke, Ontario, Monday – Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Have questions
· About moths or other invaders?
· How to use insect monitors?
· What to do if monitors show pest activity?
Contact Pest HQ. Our experts have 100-plus years of collective pest control experience. We are here to help you get control.
Read more:
Learn about moths in the house and how to prevent them
