How to Keep Bugs Out of Your Storage Unit
Nobody likes to come back to their storage unit for the first time in a few months, only to find it infested with pests or carrying a creepy crawler somewhere you can’t see until it’s too late. The experience of finding a bug or rat when you weren’t expecting them can be as startling as it is revolting. Chances are, they’re in your storage unit because there’s something drawing them there. Without food or shelter, there would be no reason for them to stay. So what’s the deal, and how do you prevent it from happening in your future?
Go Store It also doesn’t like uninvited pests, and we go through every measure available to us to make sure they don’t show up in our storage units. However, we can’t cover everything, and the rest of the responsibility is on the customer to keep their unit bug-free. Fortunately, with a few easy pest prevention tips, your self storage units can be kept unappealing to all manner of bugs and rodents.
Pest Prevention Tips for Bug-Free Self Storage Units
Our first self storage tip is to hold off on buying traps and poison. Those will probably help deal with the immediate infestation, but they aren’t as effective if your storage unit is full of things that attract them. With the right preparation, you can prevent nasty pests from ever creeping in to begin with.
Remove All Traces of Food
At most self storage unit facilities, like Go Store It, it is prohibited to keep food in your storage unit. It’s likely to spoil or otherwise draw the attention of unwanted critters. But we know accidents happen, so make sure to check and double-check that there’s no food in your storage unit. We don’t just mean perishables, either. Canned food, boxed food, wrapped candy, crackers, crumbs, all of it needs to be gone.
No amount of effort on behalf of the facility can prevent rodents from entering a self storage unit where an appetizing meal is waiting for them. They will find a way.
Airtight Storage is Essential
It makes sense: critters can’t invade your belongings if there’s no way to get inside, right? Whenever possible, make use of plastic, airtight storage containers. Dressers have creases easily compromised, appliances are dark and safe, but a plastic box? Bugs and rats can neither chew through nor wiggle their way inside.
Take it a step further, and put all your belongings on racks or shelves, suspended at least a couple inches off the ground. It might sound simple (because it is), but this one trick can prevent your things from becoming the new home of a happy creepy crawler. As an added bonus, this tactic will also protect your boxes from moisture build-up, which can weaken or damage them.
Cover Your Upholstery and Mattresses
Besides food, an exposed mattress or upholstery furniture is probably the second-best reason you find bugs in storage units. Pest prevention tip: cover those things up. A plastic covering can deter bugs and rats from chewing their way through your warm, comfortable mattress. For couches and similar furniture, detour away from plastic and use something more breathable. It’ll still get the job done.
Pest Deterrents
With all these precautions in place, if you’re still finding yourself with bugs where you don’t want them, the next step is to use pest deterrents. However, if at all possible, keep things natural. A nice natural deterrent is cotton balls with a few drops of lavender or peppermint essential oils. Place these in spaces where you suspect rodents may be tracking. The odor is strong and unpleasant to them, so they’ll hunt for sanctuary elsewhere.
Avoid Bugs in Storage Units with Go Store It
Ready to rent a self storage unit without dreading pests taking over? Go Store It recognizes the importance of keeping a facility clean and regularly inspected for pests, so you have the best fighting chance at a pest-free experience.
Whether your needs call upon a closet-sized self storage unit, or something much larger, our practices and policies remain the same. You deserve to have the best experience we can offer, and we’re interested in providing the greatest service available. If you’re on the market for a storage unit, take a look at our ever-growing variety of locations, and find the facility nearest to you.
We can’t wait to help you start down a pest-free path as soon as you need us!