When you’ve invested in strong metal storage buildings, you know that they’re resistant to a wide range of environmental concerns. But, what about the contents stored within a storage building? In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the serious damage that can happen to the contents you store in a storage building, including the range of pests that can infiltrate your storage buildings. But just because these pests can cause an infestation doesn’t mean you have to let them! Now, in Part 2, we’ll give you some great tips and techniques to prevent the pests from becoming a problem in the first place, which range from simple one-time tasks to regularly scheduled maintenance.
What Can You Do To Prevent These Infestations?
For all of the pests mentioned in Part 1, there is a range of possible solutions to keep them out of your mini storage buildings, and away from the items you’re keeping in storage. Some of these require regular maintenance work, while others simply require setting your storage up correctly in the first place.
Choose to perform regular pest control:
By remaining vigilant about potential pest issues, you can make sure that you’ll keep pests far away from your storage buildings’ important contents. Either schedule regular service with an outside pest control company or make sure to put it on your calendar and get the necessary tasks done yourself.
Pack your items in well-sealed containers:
Unlike simple cardboard boxes, quality plastic containers with lids are resistant to chewing damage. This prevents the pests from getting into the contents in the first place. Some of these are available with a gasketed lid, which seals out pests that can slide through very tiny openings, like cockroaches and bedbugs. Gasketed lids also keep moisture out of sensitive materials.
Avoid keeping food items inside storage:
Pests are drawn to easy food sources and prefer to live near their sources of food, so having food items inside your storage facility is a big mistake, as it will draw pests into the building. By keeping food out of your prefab storage buildings, pests will want to settle somewhere else, where they won’t have to travel as far to find a convenient food source.
Keep your items elevated off the ground:
Insects and prey animals, such as mice and rodents, don’t like to be caught out in the open, because it makes them vulnerable to predators. Doing something as simple as adding a row of pallets underneath your storage items creates a habitat they don’t like to stay in. Another option for long-term storage is shelving, where the bottom shelf is a few inches from the floor.
Check in on your storage facility often:
As with performing pest control, regular visits to your mini storage building will help you catch any potential issues early. Take the time to do a solid walk-around of the structure and check for any new damage where pests can enter, such as loose siding, foundation cracks, and other access points for pests.
Trim trees and landscaping away from storage buildings:
Much like creating a space beneath the items you’re storing, opening up the sides of the structure leaves an open space for prey animals and insects to get attacked. So, they’ll find another place to call home rather than risk being attacked by a predator.
Ensure keeping the gutters and downspouts clean:
When your gutters or downspouts are full of debris, it’s easy for them to overflow or leak. This creates a local source of moisture, which all pests need to survive. By keeping your gutters and downspouts clear, you’ll deprive them of that resource and discourage their presence.
Get your garbage picked up and disposed of regularly:
Much like having food nearby, the presence of garbage can draw pests. Whether they contain small amounts of food, nesting materials, or just a safe space, it helps to improve the pests’ habitat. This is one case where just removing trash regularly will help keep pests at bay.
Preventive Action is Always the Best Route!
These pests won’t cause damage to the structure of your storage buildings, but they can cause serious damage to the contents inside. When you take the time to maintain your storage buildings and carefully store the contents, you’ll drastically reduce the pest problems you’ll encounter.
You can always opt to create a solid building envelope at the time of construction too, but only when you purchase from a quality supplier. At Storage Building Central, our buildings are simple to secure, clean, and maintain to exacting standards, reducing your chance of pest problems without increasing your workload. Please feel free to contact our experts on +1 (844) 315-3151 to discover more.
