At Security Public Storage, we take pride in providing our customers with clean, well-maintained self-storage facilities throughout the west coast and Washington DC metro area. Clean storage units and facilities help promote safety while you visit our facilities, as well as help protect your belongings from pests, extreme weather and dust. Storage unit cleanliness is a dual effort between our team and our customers. What you store in your storage unit makes a big difference in the cleanliness of not only your unit, but the entire facility.
In our experience, storage units with food and other prohibited items tend to attract pests like mice and other rodents. Pests are a problem in storage units because they could possibly nibble small holes in your stored items, like furniture and clothing. We have maintenance measures in place to prevent pests from entering storage units, but with your help these tiny invaders can be evaded all together.
Tips for Keeping Pests Out of Your Storage Unit
Sometimes self storage customers may inadvertently pack items into their storage units that may attract unwanted pests. It’s essential to learn how to keep rodents out of your unit whenever possible in order to prevent an infestation at the facility.
- Don’t Store Food Inside a Storage Unit — This is the biggest factor in preventing pests from entering your storage unit. Many people have made the mistake of accidentally leaving food items while moving into a storage unit, but rodents will take notice. Remember to look for food where you may not have intended to leave it. Vacuum furniture underneath the cushions. Check kitchen storage containers and other surfaces that may have any residual food on the surfaces.
- Cover Mattresses and Upholstered Furniture — Before bringing your mattresses into your storage unit, check thoroughly to ensure that they are free of insects. Use a plastic mattress cover that is specifically designed to keep pests out. Bugs and rodents can also burrow into or chew through upholstered furniture. If you have furniture with fabric, make sure it is covered in some way. You want to keep pests out, but also allow your items to breathe.
- Raise Stored Items — Bugs and rodents may be able to crawl, but it’s still helpful to elevate your items off of the ground. Consider placing a clean pallet on the ground or use open shelving to raise your items off of the ground. This will help deter pests from entering your boxes and will protect your belongings from moisture.
- Be Aware of Scent — We advise our customers to avoid storing items with a strong scent. This includes candles, potpourri, reed diffusers, laundry detergent and more. If it’s designed to smell good, it will attract bugs. On the opposite end of the spectrum, stinky fabrics like dirty clothes and furniture can also attract vermin. If you have to store the good-smelling items, seal them in airtight plastic bags and containers to deter creatures.
- Pack Items in Containers with Air-Tight Lids — Plastic containers with air-tight lids work best for protecting fabrics, linens and clothing in a storage unit. If you prefer to use boxes, it’s advised to buy new cardboard boxes for use in your storage unit. These new boxes will be stronger and are less likely to have punctures and gaps where pests can enter than the used, free boxes you might get from a restaurant or grocery store.
- Try Natural Pest Deterrents — Rather than coming prepared with poison and traps, consider more natural remedies to deter pests from entering your storage unit. Be sure to keep the area clean and broom swept. Put cedar blocks in a bowl on a shelf. Add drops of lavender or peppermint essential oils to cotton balls to deter pests.
- Have Wool Rugs Professionally Cleaned — We suggest having your wool rugs professionally cleaned, and then leaving them in their plastic bags when stored. This gets rids of moths and moth larvae. We’ve had incidents over the years where units get inundated with moths attracted to someone’s wool rug.
Visit your storage unit often in order to catch potential pests and rodents. It’s much easier to remedy a possible infestation when rodents are caught and addressed quickly. We recommend you visit your storage unit at least every other month if possible in order to inspect your belongings for signs of pest damage. Look for rodent droppings, the presence of bugs and new holes in your boxes and furniture. If you notice any of these things, contact management immediately.
Pest Control is a Team Effort
At SPS, we do our very best to prevent pest and rodent infestations. All of our facilities are cleaned regularly. It’s with the help of our customers that we are able to provide immaculate storage facilities. Remember to check your furniture and kitchen items for stray food particles and your mattresses for potential bugs. We love welcoming customers to clean facilities and with your help we can continue to provide beautifully maintained storage units.
Find the SPS storage facility near you today!