Tips and Tricks for How to Keep Bugs Out of Carved Pumpkin

stack of carved pumpkins against a wood wall

 

Welcome to October! 

Now that it’s October, the Halloween countdown has begun, and spooky decor is adorning homes worldwide, we’re willing to bet someone in your household will soon be carving a pumpkin and placing it on your porch.

Unfortunately, people aren’t the only ones who adore the smiling (or grimacing) orange face of a jack-o-lantern—insects LOVE to snack on carved pumpkins, and they don’t mind if that ruins your decoration. Today, our pest experts have effective solutions to save the day. Read today’s blog to learn how to keep bugs out of carved pumpkins!

Bugs + Other Critters That Ruin Jack-O-Lanterns

Before we delve into how to keep bugs out of carved pumpkins, let’s list the creepy crawlies that are the usual culprits (it is good to know your enemy to best plot their demise):

  • Ants
  • Fruit flies
  • Earwigs
  • Squash Bugs

 

Along with bugs, rodents are also eager to devour your carved pumpkin. Some of today’s lessons on how to keep bugs out of carved pumpkins will also serve as effective solutions for keeping your jack-o-lanterns rodent-free. However, if you want a guaranteed rodent-free home and property this fall, learn more about our removal services here and follow this free guide to preventing rodent infestations.

Now, without further ado, let’s talk about how to keep bugs out of carved pumpkins. 

How to Keep Bugs Out of Carved Pumpkins

Pests that want to destroy your carved pumpkins are drawn to the smell of their exposed insides, especially once they start rotting. Bearing this in mind, the following tips are ways to treat the pumpkin to minimize the scent, prevent rot, or repel pests with substances that tend to deter them.

Choose Your Carving Time Wisely

It may seem like a no-brainer, but the sooner you carve a pumpkin, the faster it will rot. We recommend decorating your porch with your pumpkins without carving them for a few weeks so you can still enjoy their autumnal beauty.

Once you carve your jack-o-lantern, you have at most a week before it begins to rot, so try to carve them as close to your Halloween festivities as possible.

Deterrent Tips

In this section, we’re sharing two tips that are more about repelling pests from your pumpkin than preventing rot.

    1. Make it spicy: Many pests despise red pepper flakes, so spraying your carved pumpkin with a 2:1 water-to-red pepper flakes solution can effectively repel them. Just be careful not to get the spray in your eyes!
    2. Treat with neem oil: Neem oil is harsh on insects but more gentle on plants and plant products like pumpkins. Grab a bottle of neem oil or a neem oil spray from your local garden center and cover the outside of the pumpkin with a thin layer. Do not put neem oil on the inside of the pumpkin unless you buy a neem oil labeled as non-flammable.

More Tips to Prevent Pumpkin Rot

Here are a few more quick things to try to prevent pumpkin rot, which attracts insects:

  • Keep the pumpkin cool and dry: On rainy, icy, and muggy days, take the pumpkin indoors. You can also place pumpkins in a terracotta dish for moisture drainage and temperature stabilization.
  • Use LED tea lights: The heat from tealight candles with a real flame inside your pumpkin can make it rot quicker; use LED tealights instead. 
  • Stick it in the freezer: Once you turn off the LED tea lights in your pumpkin for the night (each night), stick your pumpkin in the fridge or freezer. 
  • Try Treating with lemon juice: Spraying your freshly carved pumpkin with lemon juice will help keep it fresh and looking bright and orange for longer.

Happy Halloween From Vulcan Termite & Pest Control

Thanks for reading; we hope you have a safe and fun Halloween! If you have any questions or concerns about pests on your property disturbing your festivities, call us today at 205-663-4200 or contact us online to request our services.

For 40+ years, our team of integrative pest solutions professionals from Vulcan Termite & Pest Control has proudly aided hundreds of families in Birmingham and nearby communities by eradicating invasive pests on their property. 

We’ll gladly perform a FREE evaluation and create and implement an effective strategy using our tried-and-true methods, so you and your family can enjoy your autumn festivities safely and comfortably in a pest-free home.

Are you curious to keep learning about common critters found in Alabama or how to safely and humanely deal with them when they show up on your property uninvited? Check out more of our weekly pest blogs for helpful tips, tricks, and educational content!