Health Department Offers Tricks for Making the Halloween Season Less of a Treat for Rodents

If you plan to decorate with a pumpkin or carve a jack o’ lantern this fall, remember that many pests like rats, squirrels, and insects enjoy pumpkins, too. Here are some easy ways to keep them away from your pumpkins:

• Coat the outside of your pumpkin with a thin layer of petroleum jelly. Critters find a slippery pumpkin unattractive. And bonus, it makes your pumpkin shine!
• Spray your pumpkin daily with hairspray. It's sticky and tastes bad to pests, and also adds a nice sheen.
• Sprinkle hot pepper flakes around your pumpkin. Once you place it on your porch or step, spicy sprinkles will deter unwanted visitors at your door.
• Put away your pumpkins at night. Bring them inside your house, garage, or shed to avoid nocturnal nibbling.
• When you see signs of decay, dispose of your pumpkin right away! Place it in the trash or in a properly secured compost bin.

The Melrose Health Department, in conjunction with the Mystic Valley Public Health Coalition, reminds residents that rodent control is a community-wide issue that requires a community-wide solution. For more information, please visit https://www.cityofmelrose.org/health/pages/rodent-control-faq-and-resources.