Save your home from these SC pests over Thanksgiving holidays. Here’s how to keep them away

Would anything be as embarrassing on Thanksgiving as a rat running through your kitchen? Or a cockroach skittering toward your broccoli casserole?

Well, this is the time those pesky pests want to come inside. It’s cold. They’re cold. And your lavish spread is easy pickings for them to eat.

The National Pest Management Association calls them “unwelcome visitors.”

To be sure.

“Holiday cooking and gatherings can unintentionally roll out the welcome mat for pests,” said Dr. Jim Fredericks, an entomologist and senior vice president of public affairs for the association. “Pantry pests can sneak their way indoors, contaminating baking ingredients and packaged goods, while rodents and cockroaches are attracted to indoor spaces that offer comfort and easy access to meals.”

But all is not lost.

Here are the Pest Management Association’s suggestions for keeping these critters outside.

• Inspect and seal entry points especially where utilities and pipes enter.
• Store firewood 20 feet from the house.
• Clean your basement, attic and garage and elevate stored boxes to reduce potential nesting sites. 
• Use airtight containers for baking items and dry goods.
• Check packages for damage at the store and examine bags and boxes before bringing groceries inside.
• Wipe up spills, sweep up crumbs and take out the trash frequently.

The good news is the cold is keeping the mosquito population down, the association said.