You have to be extra careful when keeping belongings in a storage unit since you can't monitor stored items for pests daily. Here are some of the insects that could infest your clothing during storage and how you can prevent such an eventuality.
1. Moths
Clothes moths can eat any natural fibers (preferring animal fibers like wool, silk, and mohair). They can also eat things you wouldn't think of as fibers, such as feathers and leather. The two wool moth varieties are the casemaking clothes moth and the webbing moth, but other species such as house moths can also dine on wool.
Prevention can include keeping any susceptible materials packed in a moth-proof container such as a sealed bag, with cedar oil repellents or mothballs.
2. Carpet beetles
Carpet beetle larvae feed on wool and other natural fibers. They can be sneaky and cause a lot of damage to your belongings before they're discovered. Storing wool rugs and other natural fibers in plastic can help prevent carpet beetles, as can applying pesticides to the perimeter of the storage unit (ask your storage facility what their policy is for pesticide use).
3. Cockroaches
While cockroaches don't usually eat clothes, they may if food stains are present. They can also damage some items such as electronics. In addition, these bugs can carry bacteria and may even cause allergic reactions.
To protect against cockroaches, place glue traps around the corners of the storage unit where enterprising insects could enter. You should also avoid storing belongings in cardboard boxes, which cockroaches seem to love. And check to make sure the storage unit is extremely clean and free of all spills, crumbs, and trash (which could attract bugs) before moving your belongings in.
4. Bedbugs
Bedbugs can be even worse than property-damaging insects since they actually bite humans to drink blood. While bed bugs are more likely to show up when you bring home an item from the thrift store, they also have a slight chance of getting to your belongings in a storage unit in one of two situations.
First, you could get bed bugs if you place items in a storage unit that has bed bugs or infested belongings left from a previous renter. Second, you could get them if a nearby unit is infested and the bugs spread.
You can guard against the first possibility by choosing a storage facility that has great sanitation protocols and a good reputation. You can also have the unit inspected by bug-sniffing dogs if you're extra worried. You can guard against the second possibility by using pesticides around the doors and corners of the unit to prevent any bugs from making it in alive.
These are some of the bugs to guard against when using a self-storage unit to protect your belongings. Get in touch with your local self-storage facility to learn more about their sanitation and cleaning protocols and their other pest prevention strategies.
