There are many reasons why people rent out self-storage units. They use it to store their belongings while decluttering their home, keeping valuables safe, or to store items they use seasonally. While many people rent our self-storage units for short-term uses, those who rent it out long term must be wary of something that always infests cool and dark places: mice.
So how do people with self-storage units keep mice infestations at bay from their belongings? The same techniques used to keep them away from houses can also work in these units. Some of these include using proper baits and the right kinds of traps, having a sufficient amount of traps, spacing the traps right, and placing them along walls.
Placing Mouse Traps in Self-Storage Units
Mice may enter self-storage units through cracks and holes found in the walls and floors. Mouse traps are effective solutions if you find that your storage unit is already infested with mice.
Contrary to popular belief, placing mouse traps isn’t as simple as placing them on the floor while you wait for mice to stumble upon them, and subsequently get caught. There are plenty that goes into using mouse traps to effectively and efficiently catch these pests.
1. Use Proper Baits
The use of the proper bait is critical to successfully trapping mice. You may not catch any mice if you don’t use the best bait for the job. Although mice will be drawn to almost any type of food, using the best bait will allow you to catch a significantly greater number of mice.
All that’s necessary is a modest bit of bait. Using a protein-rich bait, such as peanut butter, to entice a mouse is an excellent option. It all depends on how much other food is available and what the animals are used to eating, so the lure’s success might vary greatly. Mice, in addition to peanut butter, love fried bacon, oats, pet food, and chocolate.
If there are a lot of mice in the area, many mouse traps with different baits would be great. It’s a good idea to use food lures that aren’t frequently accessible in the region.
2. Use a Variety of Traps
The most essential rule in mice control is to employ a range of strategies and solutions to complete the job. This is where many people get it wrong. If you want the best results, utilize a mix of traps rather than just snap traps.
Mice are intelligent creatures who are quick to learn new things, including how traps work. They’ll find out how to avoid your traps eventually. So even if you think you’ve eradicated every mouse in your house but your traps aren’t capturing anything, it’s likely that the invading rodents have simply learned to avoid those traps or those places.
Snap traps are inefficient in dealing with large infestations since they can only catch one mouse at a time. If you want long-term results when dealing with an infestation, use glue traps, snap traps, poison bait, and repellent.
3. Use Enough Traps
When baiting mouse traps, some people forget to install enough traps on the first night, or to start strong enough and go all out, instead deciding to pace themselves with their resources.
To get the most out of your first night of baited and armed traps (glue and snap traps, peanut butter and chocolate, and poison baits), start with a diverse set of traps and baits.
Mice are quite intelligent, and if one of their family doesn’t return to the nest, they’ll figure out what occurred. If they feel anything is wrong, mouse trap bait will be less enticing to them, and they’ll scavenge more warily.
4. Space Them Right
Mice breed swiftly and fiercely, producing 6 to 7 offspring in a litter every 21 days or so. So you might not realize how many there are in your storage unit, but you can almost certainly count on more than one. To swiftly clear a mouse infestation, you’ll need more than a few mouse traps. The most successful technique is to install one mouse trap every 2 to 3 feet along the wall where evidence of activity has been observed. Set mouse traps in pairs as close as an inch apart in areas with high foot traffic.
5. Place Them Along Walls
The placement of mouse traps is important to their effectiveness. Look around to get a feel of how busy the mice are. Traps should be put in locations with a high level of activity. Mice are frequently seen operating in the shadows, along walls, and in dark corners.
Mouse traps should be placed in locations where rodents are active. Place the traps in places where mice are likely to cross them. Put these mouse traps at an angle to the wall, with the trigger end almost contacting the wall. The triggers should be placed in such a way that mice coming from either direction will be stopped.
The Risks of Mice Infestation in Self-Storage Units
Storage facilities are appealing nesting places for rats because they’re usually unoccupied, with occupants only checking on their items on rare occasions. This implies that if sufficient care isn’t taken, an infestation can thrive and spread with little to no disruption.
Mice are one of the most dangerous pests to one’s health. They’re known to carry over 35 severe illnesses, including tularemia, plague, and hantavirus. These illnesses can be transmitted to people by direct contact with living or dead rats, contact with rodent feces, urine, or saliva, and bites.
Furthermore, mice defecate 70 times every day on average. Their droppings can cause allergies and spread germs that cause food-borne infections, including salmonella.
Mice may also eat through wallboards, cardboard, and wood, inflicting significant structural and personal property damage. They’ve been known to start fires by chewing on electrical wires. If you find that your storage unit has a mice infestation, it must be addressed as quickly as possible.
Keeping Mice Away From Your Storage Unit
Mice traps are only effective when you find your unit is already infested with mice. If you’re fortunate enough to have no mice infestation in your storage unit, this doesn’t mean that you’ll never have one. Like in medicine, prevention is generally a better option than providing remedy.
In this case, preventing mice from entering your storage unit in the first place is the best option to ensure that you don’t face the hassle of having to place traps in your storage units when it’s already too late. Here are some tips to keep your storage unit mice-free.
1. Packing Items with Airtight Lids
Packing your goods in well-sealed containers is the most efficient approach to keep bugs out. Plastic containers are preferred, particularly for linens, textiles, and garments.
For storage, we recommend purchasing fresh cardboard boxes. New boxes are stronger and less likely to have holes or punctures through which pests might enter, and they’re built with extra strength to endure stacking for extended periods of time.
If you’re going to use free moving boxes, make careful to avoid utilizing free cardboard boxes from grocery shops or restaurants. These have a reputation for attracting undesirable bugs.
2. Keep Storage Units Food Free
This may sound simple, but you’d be shocked about how many people make the mistake of storing food inside. If you’re in a hurry, don’t leave your full pantry in a storage container and expect no rodents to notice.
Look for food in places you didn’t plan to leave it in. Vacuum or clean under the cushions of furniture. Examine the surfaces of kitchen storage containers, pots, and pans for crumbs or leftover food.
This stage goes beyond simply storing food. Check that the neighboring unit has been swept and that there are no crumbs from previous renters or a lunch you ate in there on moving day. You must also try not to eat anything within your unit. The lingering odor might be quite appealing to unwelcome organisms.
3. Store Items Raised
Because mice can crawl, it’s a good idea to keep your valuables up off the ground. One simple approach to accomplish this is to use open shelves or to place clean pallets on the ground.
This step won’t only keep pests out of your boxes, but it will also preserve your goods from moisture.
4. Use Repellents
There are mice repellents available in the market that can help deter mice from your storage unit. Before using any form of insect spray, chemical, or commercial repellent, consult with your storage facility. Professional pest control services are used on a regular basis by reputable storage facilities. Their approaches are successful, and, more importantly, they regard people’s safety.
Mothballs may appear to be harmless, but the odor may destroy clothing and furniture not just in your storage unit, but also in nearby apartments. There are additional natural pest-prevention measures you may take.
5. Choose a Self-Storage Unit That Assures Pest Control
Choosing a storage facility is one of the most important decisions you can make when it comes to pest control for your storage unit. If management has neglected the storage facility, there isn’t always much you can do to keep pests at bay.
Before renting, look for red flags such as apparent cracks or deteriorated seals on the storage doors. A well-kept facility is considerably more likely to not only prevent an infestation, but also to deal with it quickly if one does emerge.
Hire Professionals at Midway Pest Management for Your Mice Control Needs
Even if you’re having trouble dealing with a pest problem and don’t know where to start, you can always seek help from the experts. A professional pest control company, such as Midway Pest Management, would gladly assist you with insect-related issues in your storage unit or house.
Decide to talk with a trained pest control specialist at Midway Pest Management. In addition to identifying the exact pests you’re dealing with, our professional specialists can share what they know about pest behaviors,habits, and whereabouts, and give you a personalized management and prevention plan. Get back your peace of mind with a clean and pest-free space and get in touch with us today.
Read More: What’s The Difference Between Mouse Traps and Bait Stations?