Pumpkins, Pranks, and Pests

Pumpkins and Jack-O-Lanterns

Pumpkins are a staple of Halloween. Whether it’s decorative pumpkins or carved up jack-o-lanterns, chances are you have one of these Autumnal vegetables in or around your home this time of year. Unfortunately, in addition to being part of the spooky seasonal spirit, these features of Halloween can attract pests including:

• Rats
• Mice
• Ants
• Squash Bugs
• Fruit Flies
• Beetles

Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to help prevent pests from targeting your pumpkins. Most importantly you want to pick fresh pumpkins/jack-o-lanterns for display and remove any pumpkins when they begin to rot as the decay attracts pests. In addition to this you can try some of the following:

• Spray or submerge your carved pumpkins with a mixture of bleach and water to better preserve them (this wards off bacteria growth that increases the rate of decay)
• Ensure that all pumpkin guts are removed to the best of your abilities
• Try fake candles or glowsticks to help preserve your jack-o-lanterns as flames can damage them
• Use citronella candles to ward off all kinds of insects

Pest Pranks

Bugs are creepy and there are many people who are easily spooked by the mere sight of them. As such, pests can make an amazing addition to your Halloween decorations and play a part in the scaring pranks of the season. Here are some pranks you can play that are inspired by pests:

• Creepy Crawly Treats – For this prank, you’d need fake plastic bugs, a popsicle making tray, and some juice (we recommend using darker colored juices for more of a surprise). First, place the fake bugs into the popsicle tray before filling the compartments with the juice of your choice and freezing the treats. When served to an unsuspecting friend or family member, the fake bugs can cause quite a shock.
• Spider-Dog – You’ve probably seen the viral videos related to this prank. While spider costumes are available for all size dogs, we find that smaller dogs create the biggest effect with this prank. Simply send rover out to startle your neighbors or spook your guests while wearing the creepy costume.
• Dropping Spider – This trick is one of the oldest in the book. Strap a fake spider to a string that’s attached to the top of a door frame. Crack the door, balancing the fake spider on the top of the door and wait for your target to walk through the door
• Lamp Shade Trick – Take a fake plastic bug, or even a paper cutout of a bug that you can make at home, tape it on the inside of a lampshade, and wait for some unsuspecting person to turn on the light.
• Fake Bed Bugs – These little joke shop novelties are often sold for a just a few cents to a dollar but are more than worth that in pranking fun. They are typically just made of a kind of confetti and are easy to apply to a bed or couch for the desired reaction.

Scaring Off Halloween-time Pests

Halloween celebrates the creepy and the crawly; the unnerving and unsettling; and the most harrowing of horrors… but that doesn’t mean we still like having pests around. Unfortunately, while the weather may be cooling down there’s still a lot of pest activity going on. Pests will be prepping for their hibernation and looking for warm, damp places to inhabit during this time of year, which means your home and yard become ideal places for pest activity to occur. Some pests, such as stinkbugs, ladybugs, box elder bugs, and spiders even thrive during the Autumn months and will be present in high populations. Because pests are targeting your home at this time, it becomes essential remove any conducive conditions that may be attracting pests, and make sure that you have defenses in place to prevent pest invasions.

At Green Pest Services, we’ve got your back. We have years of experience treating for all types of Autumn creepy crawlies and we want to make sure your Halloween is pest-free… save for maybe some fake bug pranks of course.