Will you be using a storage unit to store your belongings? If so, you may have concerns about pests getting in the unit and causing damage to your items. While the storage facility team will do their best to keep pests out, the nature of having an outdoor unit that is easily accessible will run the risk of them getting in. Here are some tips that can help ensure that your belongings are secure while they are in storage.

Avoid Storing Food

One thing that you should definitely do if you want to keep pests away from your storage unit is to not store food inside it. While this may seem like common sense, it happens more often than you think. This may happen if a college student is storing their belongings in storage between semesters, and decides to put all of their shelf-stable foods in storage so that it's there for the fall. Pests are going to be able to get into those cardboard boxes if they find them and cause a lot of damage in the process.

Clean And Seal Clothing

It's also important to thoroughly clean and seal clothing before you put it in storage. While the clothing may not seem dirty to you, pests tend to be attracted to the smells and oils in your clothing that you cannot detect. Even crumbs that are on old tablecloths can attract a pest to the surface and cause unwanted damage. That's why you will want to put clothing in sealed containers, such as plastic bins of vacuum-sealed bags, which will prevent pests from getting to them.

Bag Your Mattress

A mattress bag is not only useful for keeping your mattress clean but to prevent pests from getting to it. This is because a mattress can have those same oils and odors as your clothing, and end up attracting pests to the items. Mattress bags are very cheap and can provide a lot of protection to this expensive item.

Avoid Bait Traps If They're Not Necessary 

If you do not have a pest problem in your storage unit, avoid using a bait trap as a preventative measure. That's because those bait traps contain food, and will actually draw pests to your storage unit. Stay away from using these traps to eliminate having food in the unit.

Raise Items Off the Ground

It will help to use old pallets to keep things off the ground in the storage unit. This will not only help create some distance between the ground and the floor if water were to get into the unit, but will also make it harder for pests to reach your items.