Christmas is a time for fun, celebration and family. For most people, this includes eating mountains of delicious food. The problem with this though, is that it can have a downside. For example, the problem with Christmas food is that’s it’s usually extremely rich. We’re talking about things like glazed ham, mince pies, biscuits, and lots of Christmas cake. These types of food are also extremely attractive to pests. This is why it’s so important that you keep this food safely away from unwanted guests. In this post, we’ll explain how to do this, and what you need to know about protecting Christmas food.
What you can do to protect Christmas food
Many types of food we eat at Christmas contain nutrients that sustain pests in cold weather. Food like biscuits contain large amount of sugar, which many pests love. Other Christmas food is extremely fatty, something that pests typically like. This is why it’s important that you keep pests away from this kind of food. Pests can contaminate food items, causing waste and potential illness too.
The first step to protecting Christmas food, is keeping that food securely hidden from pests. All Christmas food must be kept out of the reaches of creatures like cockroaches, flies and mice. The best way to do this is by keeping your food in lock-tight plastic containers until it is needed. These containers should be kept in firmly closing cupboards or the fridge.
Keep everything food related clean during Christmas
This is especially important when it comes to pest proofing your kitchen. Make sure to clean thoroughly after preparing any food. Yes, this can be difficult with the large volumes of food you will likely be cooking at Christmas, but you should make a concerted effort. Also make sure to empty your kitchen bins are often as possible. This will prevent pests getting into rubbish.
When protecting Christmas food, also think twice about leaving food items out. This will possibly include food that is used as decorations. For example, you may be decorating your Christmas tree with something like gingerbread men. Or you may have crisps and nuts out and available for guests to nibble on, which end up ground into the carpet. These food remnants are a magnet for rodents and insects once the festivities are over and everyone has gone to bed.
Finally, be careful with things like stockings and presents. It might be a good idea to avoid putting food items into stockings. Something you might want to consider is get Christmas stockings that can zip shut. This will prevent pests from getting into your festive treats overnight.