So I’m standing outside the office the other day and this guy pulls up, opens his unit, and just stops. Stares inside for like a full minute. Then he starts pulling stuff out and shaking his head.
Didn’t have to ask what happened. Seen that look too many times. Something got into his stuff.
Look, nobody wants to think about this. It’s gross and honestly kind of depressing. You pay for the space, you lock it up tight, you figure everything’s fine. Then you come back for your winter stuff and realize a family of mice turned your sweaters into a condominium.
I’m not trying to freak you out. I just don’t want you to be that guy with the garbage bag.
Here’s what actually works. Not the Pinterest hacks. Just stuff I’ve watched work (or not work) for like a decade now.
Check Your Stuff Before It Goes In
Most people assume pests break into storage units. Sometimes yeah. But half the time? You bring them with you.
Had a lady years ago store this antique dresser. Beautiful thing. Family passed it down. She gets it in there, shuts the door, doesn’t think about it for eight months. Comes back and there’s beetles everywhere. Turned out the dresser already had them. She just gave them a new place to live.
So before you load up, really look at your stuff. Underside of furniture. Inside drawers. Creases in old boxes. If something’s got bugs, deal with it at home. Don’t bring them here.
Throw Away Your Cardboard
I know. Free boxes. Easy to break down. Trust me, I get it.
But cardboard is basically bug food. Silverfish love it. Roaches love it. Mice can chew through it in about three seconds. And it soaks up moisture like a sponge. Get it even a little damp and it’s basically a hotel with a vacancy sign.
Just use plastic bins. The clear ones are nice cause you can see what’s inside. Lids snap on tight. Mice can’t chew through. Moisture can’t soak in.
Yeah you gotta spend some money on bins. But replace a whole box of Christmas ornaments once and tell me the bins weren’t worth it.
Get Everything Off the Ground
Boxes on the floor? You’re inviting trouble. Mice run along walls. That’s how they travel. They hit a box and up they go. Simple.
Put your stuff on blocks or shelves and now that mouse has to think about it. He’s gotta leave the wall and cross open space. Most times they just won’t.
You don’t need fancy shelves. Wood pallets work. Old milk crates. Just get it off the concrete.
We got regulars here who’ve had the same unit for years, never once had a problem. Ask them what they do. First thing they’ll tell you is nothing touches the floor.
The Sneaky Stuff Brings Bugs
You’re not dumb enough to store groceries. I know that. But food hides.
Camping gear is the worst. You go camping in July, come home exhausted, throw the tent and backpack in storage. There’s half a granola bar in that side pocket you never use. You forgot about it. The mice didn’t. They can smell it from down the block.
Kitchen stuff too. Toasters have crumbs. Coffee makers have old grounds. Blenders have smoothie residue stuck in the seals. Mouse doesn’t need a whole meal. Few crumbs is a feast.
Wash everything that’s ever been near food. Then check it again.
Look at Your Door
Walk up to your unit right now and look at the bottom of the door. See light? If light gets through, so can mice. They fit through gaps the size of a pencil. Not kidding. Slide a pencil under there and if it fits, so can they.
If your door at our place has a bad gap, tell us. We try to keep up with maintenance but we got hundreds of units. You’re at yours more than we are. If something looks off, flag one of us down.
You can also grab a door sweep at the hardware store for like ten bucks. Takes two minutes to install and seals it right up.
What Actually Works
You’ll hear a million things. Mothballs. Peppermint oil. Those plug-in things. Dryer sheets. Let me save you some money.
Mothballs work for moths. That’s it. They smell terrible and that smell soaks into fabric and never comes out. Seen people ruin furniture with mothballs. Just don’t.
Peppermint oil? Mice hate it. But the smell fades in like a week. You’d have to go reapply it constantly. For long term storage it’s useless.
Dryer sheets? People swear by them. Science is iffy at best. But they make stuff smell fresh and they don’t hurt anything. Throw some in your bins if you want. Worst case you got fresh smelling clothes.
Cedar’s the only thing I’ve seen really work. Real cedar blocks or balls. Moths hate it. Silverfish hate it. Lots of bugs hate it. Smells good too. Got regulars who’ve been here years, swear by cedar, never have issues. That’s good enough for me.
Pop In Sometimes
I know why people rent storage. Life’s busy. You pack it, lock it, and figure you’ll come back when you need something. Sometimes that’s six months. Sometimes it’s two years.
But if you can, stop by every couple months. Open the door. Look around. Breathe.
Smells musty? That’s moisture. Moisture brings bugs.
See little droppings? That’s mice. Time to do something.
Spider webs everywhere? Spiders eat bugs. If they’re there, they’re eating something. Figure out what.
Two minutes of looking can save you a lot of heartache.
Real Talk
Here’s the thing nobody tells you. You can’t completely pest-proof a storage unit. Not really. Mice are determined little bastards and bugs are even smaller. They get in everywhere.
But you can make your unit the hardest one to get into. Make it so there’s nothing to eat. Make it so there’s nowhere to hide.
People who have problems? They packed quick, used cardboard boxes, threw ’em on the floor, and forgot about it for a year.
People who don’t have problems? They took an extra hour to do it right.
We want you to be one of the people without problems. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we actually answer questions when you ask. That’s why we give a damn when you pull up.
We keep the property clean. We seal what we can. We spray when we need to. But inside your unit? That’s on you. You’re in control there.
Pack smart. Stop by sometimes. And if you open that door and something don’t feel right, come find me. We’ll figure it out.
That’s what we’re here for.
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