If you have an upcoming move, you may need to store your possessions while you wait for your new apartment or home to be move-in ready. If so, self-storage units can be the most economical option, with rates as low as $50 a month in some areas. Unfortunately, while these facilities can save you money, they do carry a risk of pests. If you plan on using a DIY storage unit or hiring storage unit movers, you should take some precautions to pest-proof your belongings before you store them away.
Some of these pest control tips are well-known, like using mattress bags to protect your mattress from bed bugs. Others may be new to you. To learn all the ins and outs of pest-proofing your storage unit, keep reading to see our top 10 pest control tips. If you already have a pest problem, call pest control or exterminators to handle it before moving to a new location. Otherwise, you could carry unwanted critters along with you.
1. Pick a Storage Facility With a Reliable Pest Control Policy
The best method for preventing pests when storing your items is to choose a clean facility with a good pest prevention policy. There are a few ways to do this:
- Check online reviews. If the facility has complaints about vermin or has an overall poor customer rating, you should steer clear. Reputable sites to check reviews include Google, Trustpilot, Yelp, and the Better Business Bureau.
- Ask about its pest control policy. Any good storage facility will work with local or national pest control companies. Beware of any company that says, “We don’t have a pest problem here, so we don’t worry about it.”
- Ask to see the storage units. You should always do a quick walkthrough of a storage facility before signing up with one. While doing so, you can check for signs of pests and the general condition of the facility. Furthermore, if the units are in poor condition, have cracks and crevices, or the facility is not well maintained, you might want to consider a different company.
2. Use Plastic Tubs Instead of Cardboard Boxes
Cardboard is typically the cheapest way to store your possessions, but they don’t do much to protect the contents inside. According to the University of Minnesota, corrugated cardboard boxes are a source of cockroach infestations. Many pests, like rats, roaches, and moths, can make quick work of these types of containers to nest inside them. Instead, I recommend using plastic containers with sealable, airtight lids.
Plastic, sealed storage containers are harder for pests to get into, and they keep the scent of your items from leaking out. Also, they can support more weight for longer periods of time, making them better for stacking than cardboard. If you have to use cardboard boxes for budget reasons, we recommend buying new boxes and avoiding secondhand ones from grocery stores.
3. Don’t Store Food or Scented Objects
Never store any food items, even canned goods, when using a storage facility. If you need to store kitchen items like appliances, dishes, or cutlery, you’ll want to clean them thoroughly beforehand, removing any crumbs or food residue. Other items that carry strong scents, like potpourri, candles, detergents, oils, diffusers, and perfumes, can attract insects like cockroaches.
4. Keep Items off the Ground
Rats, roaches, mice, ants, and other pests are less likely to infest your boxes if they aren’t directly on the ground. So, it’s best to elevate your possessions off the ground with storage shelves or pallets. Elevating your boxes also protects them from moisture and leaks, making this a great tip for at-home storage as well.
5. Cover Furniture With Plastic Wrap
Some pests, like moths and crickets, eat upholstered furniture, potentially destroying your expensive couch. Others, like mice and roaches, love to nest in your furniture padding. To prevent pest damage, always protect your furniture with plastic moving wrap or furniture covers. I also recommend quickly looking over the furniture after storing it for a while, as you may get small holes in these covers while moving.
6. Regularly Check on Your Possessions
Even well-maintained storage facilities can have the odd mouse or two, and even the most well-packed boxes can accidentally carry in a few insects. This is why I always recommend checking your stored items once a month. When doing so, look over your unit and check for signs of mice, like holes, rodent droppings, or loose packing material.
7. Carefully Read Your Storage Unit Insurance
Many self-storage unit facilities will require you to have homeowners, renters, or business insurance that covers stored goods, often called “off-premises personal property coverage.” These policies can be a huge help when storing your possessions long-term. However, most standard policies come with exclusions to some of the more common problems associated with storage units, including:
- Water damage
- Mold damage
- Rodent damage
- Insect damage
- Neglect
- Power failure
Before signing up with a storage facility, you should always double-check your insurance policy and see what your exclusions are. To cover these types of damage, you can ask your insurance company about policies with extended coverage or purchase a stand-alone policy from your storage facility.
8. Try Pest Control Options
If you’re worried about unwanted pests inside your unit, you can always try some DIY pest control options. I recommend avoiding commercial chemicals (like mothballs, essential oils, or bug spray) since these can potentially mix with any pest deterrents that your storage facility uses. Instead, I recommend mechanical traps and natural repellents, including:
- Sticky traps
- Snap-traps (mousetraps)
- Cedar blocks
- Cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil
- Small catch traps
9. Use Mattress Wraps
Much like upholstered furniture, insects and mice love to burrow inside mattresses. Even worse, mattresses can also carry bed bugs, which can rapidly infest a storage facility. Instead of using Raid spray to kill bed bugs, use a plastic mattress cover to keep out pests.
10. Properly Pack and Manage Your Stacks
If you’re using long-term storage for a major move, storing all your items in plastic tubs isn’t very affordable. Even if you have to use some cardboard boxes, you can mitigate the risk of pests getting into them by changing your stacking pattern.
Aim to store your largest, bulkiest objects in large plastic containers at the bottom of every stack of boxes. Then, place your lighter objects and possessions inside smaller cardboard boxes, stacking them on top of the plastic ones. By positioning your plastic containers at the bottom of each stack, you minimize the risk of pests getting into your cardboard.
What If I Find Pests After I Move Out?
If you don’t notice any pest infestations until after you move your belongings into your new home, you may have to take more drastic actions to make sure the pests don’t spread throughout the whole house. Do you have bedbugs? If so, get rid of bed bugs forever by hiring professional pest control services. Likewise, call an exterminator for roaches, as these bugs can be very hard to eradicate.
If you find mice, you may be able to get rid of them by using traps or spraying mouse repellants. However, if traps don’t work or if you find more mice over time, call an exterminator for mice. It may seem like overkill to call a pest control expert for these bothersome creatures, but infestations of bedbugs and roaches can multiply fast. Pest control costs can be steep, but it’s better to call in the experts to handle it sooner rather than later.
Final Thoughts on Pest-Proofing Your Storage Unit
Overall, a storage facility is a solid solution for storing your possessions long-term. However, pests can pose a serious threat, especially with larger facilities in big cities. To help keep your unit pest-free, try using the tips above. At the very least, store your items off the ground, cover furniture and mattresses with plastic, and be sure to use plastic storage bins when possible. If you take these basic precautions whenever you move, you’ll have a much better chance of preventing pests.
If all else fails and you still find yourself with a pest problem in your new home, don’t wait to reach out to pest control services. Contact one of the best pest control companies in the industry that can handle the infestation quickly and effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if my storage unit has a pest problem?
If you haven’t already signed the rental agreement, don’t sign it. Instead, find a different storage facility that doesn’t have a pest issue. If you’ve already signed the agreement, you can let the management know about the pest issues so they can take action against them.
Aside from that, you should store your items in plastic bins, keep them off the ground, wrap anything you can in plastic, and use pest repellants or traps in your unit to keep them away.
Can I store food items in a pest-proofed storage unit?
Technically, yes. However, I really don’t recommend it. It’s never a good idea to store food in a storage unit because it’s a magnet for pests.
What are the most common pests that can get into storage units?
Some common pests in storage units are cockroaches, mice, rats, and bedbugs. However, depending on where you live, you could also have other types of insects and rodents in your storage facility.
Should I use mothballs in my storage unit?
You can, but it may make your belongings smell. Mothballs have a very distinct scent that most people consider unpleasant. If you want to keep pests away without using mothballs, you can use different types of scented essential oils, like peppermint or tea tree oil.