Millions of people store their stuff in storage facilities. This creates a high demand for cheap storage space. The more people put their stuff in storage, the higher the competition for the available space will be. This means pests like rodents and pests will have more opportunities to invade your self-storage facility and make your stuff dirty or invaded by pests. Here are some things you can do to protect against rodents and pest invasions.
Tips to Protect Your Self-Storage Facility from Rodents and Pests
Rodents and other pests can cause damage to customers’ property at your self-storage facility, so it’s important to be proactive about eliminating these intruders as soon as you notice them and preventing their return with simple measures like keeping the storage units clean and repairing any holes or cracks from which they might enter.
Protecting your self-storage facility from rodents and pests can be challenging. With the right preventive measures, however, it’s not impossible. Here are some tips for keeping rodents and pests out of your facility:
1. Create a barrier outside the facility.
A common way to prevent rodents from entering your facility is by creating a barrier outside the facility. This can be done by building a metal fence or hedge of some kind, but it must be strong enough to keep out the rats and mice. You may also want to consider installing motion-detecting lights around your facility to make sure that there are no trails leading up to your door.
You can also install screening on windows inside the building so that rodents cannot enter through them.
2. Block entry points inside the facility.
Another effective way to protect yourself from pests is by blocking off any entrances into your facility that you think might be accessible by rats or mice. You can do this by putting down plastic sheeting over the doorways at night, or even just closing them up with bars during peak hours when fewer people are around (this will help prevent employees from getting access for themselves).
3. Keep the facility clean.
The best way to keep your facility free of rodents is to keep it clean and free of food sources.
It’s important to keep your facility clean so that rodents and pests can’t hide out in areas where they can find food and shelter, but don’t be fooled into thinking that this will be enough. You’ll need to do more than just clean up after yourself; you’ll need to be prepared when an exterminator comes out to inspect your facility.
4. Call a pest control expert when needed.
If you notice rodents or other pests in your facility, don’t try to handle them yourself this could result in severe injury! Instead, call an exterminator immediately so they can get rid of the pests without causing any damage to your property or employees’ health.
5. Don’t use poison traps around the facility.
Rodents will eat poisoned bait but may also die if they ingest the poison in their food source. In addition to killing rats, poisons can cause other problems like nausea and vomiting, which could endanger employees or customers.
6. Embrace technology and invest in surveillance cameras.
They’re an excellent way to keep an eye on what’s happening within your facility without having to rely on pets or other methods that aren’t always effective (and aren’t always safe).
7. Replace old packing materials.
Rodents like to chew on the plastic lining of boxes, so it’s important to replace those materials with ones that won’t be damaged by rodents.
If you’re using cardboard boxes, buy new ones instead of just recycling them. The cardboard will have the same shape but better protection against pests and rodents.
8. Keep food and garbage out of sight.
If you have a lot of food or garbage in your storage area, rodents will be attracted to them, and try to get at them through holes or cracks in the wall or flooring. This can lead to accidents when your client falls and injures themselves on sharp metal objects inside their storage unit!
If you have any cans or other containers that are not sealed tightly enough, use tape or rubber bands around them until you can replace them with stronger ones that are better suited for rodent resistance.
9. Clean up trash and spills immediately.
Pests like to eat leftovers! So if there’s a spill on the floor, clean it up right away so that nothing can get into the cracks underfoot and attract more pests over time.
10. Watch for signs of an infestation in your units.
Rodents are a serious threat to your self-storage facility, and you need to take action immediately.
Rodents are particularly common in self-storage facilities. They often find openings in your walls and ceilings that allow them to get inside, and they make their way inside by chewing through walls and floors or moving through electrical connections (sometimes even wires).
You can protect against this problem by using wildlife exclusion techniques at entrances to your building as well as along pathways between units within your storage space.
Read More: Tips for Storing your Items Safely During the Winters
Final Words:
Rodents are a problem for many self-storage facilities. One of the best things you can do to prevent pests is to make sure there is plenty of space between items so air can flow freely through the storage unit. Also, the storage facility should keep the area between and around units clean, and free of debris and clutter. Every time a tenant moves out, all holes or openings in a unit should be covered with steel wool or metal screen (this will help to keep rodents from entering via any gnawing holes that may have been left behind). There are many other ways to prevent rats, mice, bugs, and other pests from living in Self Storage Units. Some include installing orange or lemon peel garnish strips inside your unit entrance hole to scare off mice. Using rodent traps and glue board traps will also help with the prevention of mice and rats.
The most effective way to prevent these pests from becoming a problem is proper sanitation and the use of rodenticides. If you see an infestation, call your pest control company right away, before it gets out of control.
