Crestview, FL Main Street Fall Festival & Halloween Hours

10/31 – Outdoor Festival on Main Street, in Historic Downtown Crestview, FL. 1-6pm.
Free admission to the public. Carnival atmosphere with a focus on family fun, in lieu of “Trick-Or-Treating”. • Most participants will provide children’s games or activities, face painting & goodies free of charge. Live entertainment will also be provided. There will be a costume contest for all age groups, with a pet costume contest and parade too! Typically about 4-5,000 people attend. Recommended trick-or-treat hours in the neighborhoods for Niceville and Okaloosa County are 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The TOP Trick or Treat neighborhood in Crestview is Lee Farm Blvd out on the west side of town.  The entire neighborhood gets involved this time of year and they even have a free Haunted House IF you know where to find it!!

What Halloween decorations bring pests into your home?

Halloween is almost here, and bales of hay, cornstalks, pumpkins, and gourds are seen throughout the neighborhood as decorations. Even on your local main street you will see them in the window and on the sidewalk of businesses in Okaloosa and Walton County. The children are pinging from the copious amounts of sugar just eaten and excitement in the night from the anticipation of the big night. However, there are some ill-fated guests you might not be prepared for this Halloween…

These guests aren’t of the plastic variety….. rats, mice, squirrels, & bugs.

You think I’m kidding? I wish I was. This rodents enjoy this fall season EVEN MORE than the children! Why you ask? It’s the only time of year when homeowners are generously placing free food and shelter out on their front porches! You don’t think you’re a part of this subsidized housing plot for rodents? Well, check out that carved pumpkin sitting on your porch steps and rethink what else you’ve done.

These types of organic decorations are all perfectly acceptable (and often preferred) foods for rodents. Bales of hay and jack-o-lanterns make wonderful, natural homes for a nest, which you may have figured out if you ever moved a pumpkin after Halloween and had a few rodents run out. We’d say that is truly being “frightened”!

So, what is someone to do when they want to celebrate the season with festive decorations? Well, we have 3 tips for you…

1. Think Plastic over Organic – These decorations don’t rot, can be reused every year, and also are NOT edible!
2. White Vinegar – Put some in a spray bottle and spray it over your organic decorations.  The scent deters rodents from messing with it.
3. Natural Uncarved Pumpkins – Use a Facebook post to highlight a photo of your carved Pumpkins and only put out uncut pumpkins on your front porch. Rodents might still nibble on these plain pumpkins BUT the scent is 10x weaker and not as attractive as a cut open one.

If you’re concerned that a family of spookish creatures might have already taken up residence in your hay bale (or even in your attic!) make sure you give us a call at 850-682-5354 or ask online for a free estimate.  We will customize a plan for you and have your home pest free before the big night of Trick-or-Treating even hits!  We service the Crestview, Defuniak Springs, Ft. Walton Beach, Destin, and Niceville, FL areas.