When you are planning on moving house, you don't want to bring any unwelcome guests with you. Unfortunately, spiders, cockroaches, and bed bugs are more than willing to make the trip. To avoid this, here are some ways to keep pests away from the new home from the very beginning.
Clean the New Property
Start by inspecting and cleaning the new property before you even move in. If you are moving to a self-storage unit, you should be able to get access to your unit at any time. Look over it thoroughly, checking the walls, floors, ceiling, and cracks. Sweep the floors even if it looks clean, as hidden critters will likely make themselves known if they are disturbed.
If your furniture is going directly to the new home, ask for entrance into the home early. Inspect the entire property, including in the attic or basement, in all bedrooms, under sinks, and in the garage. Look for signs of gaps around windows and cracks in the walls. Seal up any entrances now before you move your belongings in. If you find sings of pests in the new home, have them taken care of before moving in.
Wrap Fabric Furniture and Mattresses
Insects like bed bugs and spiders like to find spaces in fabric furniture to hide, so make you wrap it all tightly. If you have some extra twin mattresses that are being moved into storage until a later date, pests might invade them if not covered. You can either get mattress bags or use furniture plastic to wrap them. While you will be inspecting the moving ruck, it is still a good idea to give your fabric furniture some extra protection by wrapping it in plastic before allowing the removalists to take it out of your home.
Inspect the Moving Truck
Before the removalists move the furniture and boxes into the truck, ask if you can take a look inside. This gives you the opportunity to kill any insects you find. When setting up an appointment with a moving company, ask about their pest control policy and ensure they have a pest-free, cleanliness policy. This is usually a good sign as it means they do their due diligence to keep the trucks clean of pests. If they are moving your belongings after moving another home, the truck could use a second glance just in case the last home had some critters hidden in their boxes that escaped.
Use New Cardboard Boxes
Avoid using the same cardboard boxes that have been sitting in your garage since the last time you moved. Chances are, mice, cockroaches, and spiders have already invaded some of them. If at all possible, throw away these boxes and get new ones. The new boxes will most likely be pest-free as long as you use them quickly and don't keep them stored outside. If you have to use some of the older boxes, inspect them thoroughly before packing items in them.
Share19 January 2016
Storing stuff is an art. You need to understand the value of purging so you don't waste money storing things you don't actually need, but you also have to have a keen eye for future value so you don't get rid of something that could be useful later. In addition, you need to know the best storage and care tactics for your possessions. Hi, my name is Mary, and as a world traveller, I have had to put my stuff in storage many times, more times that I can count as a matter of fact. I'm at home now, and to stay active, I decided to start this blog to help other travellers or really anyone who needs to use storage. Thanks for reading.