A rodent infestation in your storage unit can become a huge nightmare. The rodents will not only chew and gnaw through all of your belongings and damage them, but will also likely cause a health hazard by urinating and pooping everywhere. Rodent infestations are not unavoidable. Here are 3 things you can do to help prevent rodents from getting into your self-storage unit.

Eliminate Smells with Sealed Plastic Containers

Rodents are easily attracted to all kinds of smell. You never know what might pique their curiosity and tempt them to try to get into your unit. To prevent rodent infestations, eliminate the presence of any smells by packing everything in sealed plastic containers.

Sealed plastic containers are also a lot harder for rodents to chew through in comparison to paper or cardboard boxes. To keep your self-storage unit organized and clutter-free, look for sealed plastic containers that are stackable.

Inspect the Unit Regularly

To minimize damages incurred from a rodent infestation, inspect your unit regularly. You want to keep an eye out for rodent droppings and for urine pools or trails. Keep an eye out for nibble marks on packed boxes, and look for holes in the walls where the rodents can enter and exit your storage unit. Mice, for example, can easily squeeze through a hole that is the size of a nickel whereas rats will require a larger hole that is approximately the size of a half dollar.

If you inspect your unit regularly, you can easily pick up on any signs of whether rodents have visited. By dealing with the problem early on, you can easily prevent a full-blown rodent infestation.

Avoid Storing Food Products

Although storing non-perishable food items in self-storage units may seem like a good idea initially, they become a temptation for rodents. Rodents can smell food up to a mile away, and will eat just about any kind of human food – even unopened bags of dog food or macaroni. If you're concerned about rodent infestations, it's best to keep non-perishable food products out of your self-storage unit for good.

Conclusion

If you by any chance find rodents in your unit, contact the self-storage facility manager or owner immediately and call an exterminator. Since you don't know whether the rodents are carrying any diseases, it is not worth fighting them over your clothing or anything else you may have packed in the unit. Click here for more information.