12 Days of Pest Prevention in West London: Keep Your Home Safe This Festive Season

Published 12 December 2025

The festive season in West London is a time for family gatherings, warm drinks, and delicious meals.

🎄 Day 1: Inspect Your Property for Entry Points

Start with a thorough inspection of your home’s exterior. Look for cracks in brickwork, gaps under doors, and holes around utility pipes. Even the smallest openings can allow mice, rats, or insects to enter. Seal gaps with steel wool, silicone sealant, or weather stripping to keep pests out.

🎄 Day 2: Store Food Properly

During the festive season, kitchens are stocked with baked goods, chocolates, and savoury delights. Store all food in airtight containers to prevent attracting cockroaches, ants, and rodents. Avoid leaving pet food out overnight and keep fruit bowls covered.

🎄 Day 3: Declutter and Deep Clean

Pests thrive in cluttered environments. Declutter storage areas, attics, and cupboards. Vacuum thoroughly, paying extra attention to skirting boards, corners, and behind appliances. A clean home removes food crumbs and nesting spots that rodents and insects seek out.

🎄 Day 4: Manage Waste Effectively

Rubbish bins, especially those containing food waste, are a magnet for pests. Use bins with tight-fitting lids, empty them daily, and clean them regularly. Keep outdoor bins away from walls to reduce the risk of rats climbing into your home.

🎄 Day 5: Check and Maintain Heating Systems

Cold weather drives pests indoors. Ensure that your boiler, radiators, and heating ducts are clean and free from dust or insect debris. Warm, undisturbed areas are prime nesting spots for pests like silverfish and spiders.

🎄 Day 6: Protect Your Pantry

Holiday baking often means storing flour, sugar, and grains in bulk. Use sealed glass or heavy-duty plastic containers to avoid infestations of pantry moths and weevils. Regularly inspect these products for any signs of contamination.

🎄 Day 7: Inspect Festive Decorations

Many people store holiday decorations in attics, basements, or garages, all popular pest hotspots. Before bringing them indoors, check for signs of rodent droppings, chewed materials, or insect eggs. This will prevent accidentally introducing pests into your living space.

🎄 Day 8: Safeguard Soft Furnishings

Warm fabrics like blankets, cushions, and curtains can become home to pests like carpet beetles and moths. Wash them before the festive season, especially if they have been stored for a long time. Consider adding natural repellents such as cedar-wood or lavender.

🎄 Day 9: Monitor Damp Areas

Moisture attracts pests like woodlice, silverfish, and cockroaches. Check under sinks, around washing machines, and in basements for leaks or condensation. Use a dehumidifier if necessary to keep humidity levels low.

🎄 Day 10: Keep Firewood Outside

If you have a fireplace, store firewood away from your home’s exterior walls. Piles of wood attract insects, spiders, and even rodents. Bring in only as much as you need for immediate use to prevent pests from hitching a ride indoors.

🎄 Day 11: Maintain Your Garden

Pest prevention starts outside. Trim overhanging branches, overgrown shrubs, and ivy that provide pests with easy access to roofs and windows. Remove leaf piles and other debris where mice, rats, and insects could hide.

🎄 Day 12: Schedule a Professional Pest Inspection

Even with the most careful precautions, some infestations can go unnoticed. Arrange for a professional pest control inspection before the holidays. Early detection ensures any problem is dealt with before it escalates, keeping your home safe for family and guests.

Being aware of which pests are most active in winter helps you prepare effectively:

• Rats and Mice – Seek shelter and food indoors during cold months.
• Cockroaches – Thrive in warm, moist environments like kitchens and bathrooms.
• Silverfish – Found in damp, dark spaces.
• Spiders – Often enter homes in search of warmth.
• Pantry Pests – Moths and beetles that infest stored food.

For maximum protection this festive season:

• Install Door Sweeps – Prevent small pests from squeezing under doors.
• Repair Damaged Screens – Keep flying insects out while ventilating.
• Regularly Empty Hoover Bags – Prevent pests from breeding inside vacuum cleaners.
• Use Natural Repellents – Citrus, peppermint oil, and eucalyptus deter certain pests.

Pests are not only a nuisance but also a health hazard.

Rodents carry diseases such as Salmonella and Leptospirosis, while cockroaches can trigger asthma and allergies.

Infestations can also lead to property damage, with rats gnawing on electrical wiring and insects damaging fabrics and furniture.

Pest prevention during the festive season is not just about cleanliness, it’s about creating an environment that’s inhospitable to unwanted guests.

From sealing entry points to storing food correctly, each step plays a vital role in safeguarding your home.