Securing Your Storage Space Against Mouse Infestations
Storage units are ideal places to store your belongings during a move. The spaces are clean, secure, and completely sealed off from unauthorized individuals. If small holes form in the walls of your storage space, or if mice become desperate enough to chew through them, then you may end up with a rodent infestation inside your storage space. The mice can then chew on your furniture and leave feces behind. You can prevent this from happening by making sure that your self storage space is not rodent friendly.
Secure the Walls
Mice are considered wily pests that will do everything in their power to get into spaces and areas where they think they can find food. Mice can jump about one foot off the ground and they can climb 13 inches up smooth surfaces. This means that you need to make sure that your storage space does not have any holes or openings across the bottom two feet of the space. You need to be concerned with any opening that is one-quarter of an inch wide or about the diameter of a pencil.
Close Up Openings
Before you store any items inside your storage space, use a flashlight to inspect all of the walls. If you find any openings, you will not be able to install any closures permanently because you are renting the space. You do want to make sure that you fill the holes with materials that a mouse cannot chew through though. Mice do not like metal materials, and this means that tin foil and steel wool are perfect items to secure the openings.
Roll up a small amount of your chosen material and stick it in any openings that you find. When you are done, place a small piece of duct tape over the area so that mice cannot force the metal material out.
Clean Your Furniture
If you need to store your furniture items for some time before you move them into your house, you may not think about cleaning them properly. If you do not thoroughly clean underneath the cushions of your chairs and couches, then you may leave some food crumbs behind. If you do clean the furniture quickly, then food residue may still remain and the smell of food may entice mice to get into your storage space. You can keep this from happening with a more thorough and deep cleaning.
Vacuum and Deodorize
To clean your furniture items, remove all the cushions and use a vacuum cleaner to remove all dirt, debris, and food. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the furniture item afterwards and allow the powder to sit overnight. The baking soda will help to soak up any smells.
Vacuum up the baking soda afterwards. Lemons can neutralize food odors as well, so place 10 drops of essential lemongrass or lemon oil in a small spray bottle. You can use freshly squeezed lemon juice as well. Fill the bottle with water and shake it up. Release a fine mist of the spray across your furniture items. Do not drench them in the lemon spray though, otherwise mold can form due to the presence of moisture.
Repel the Mice with Smells
There are many different smells that mice do not like. Peppermint and mint are at the top of the list, because the strong smells hurt the sensitive olfactory cells that line a mouse's nose. Essential oils that contain peppermint and mint are often used in sprays to repel mice from a location, but essential oils dissipate quickly and this means that you will need to continually release the scents around your storage space to protect it properly. The same is not true of capsaicin.
Make a Spray With Capsaicin
Capsaicin is the ingredient in hot peppers and spices that gives food a heated taste, and mice do not like capsaicin. Not only does capsaicin release a strong smell, but it can actually hurt the nose and eyes of a mouse if a mouse gets too close to it.
To use capsaicin to repel mice, create a spray with either hot peppers, chili powder, or powdered capsaicin. Place your chili peppers in a large spray bottle filled with water or add three tablespoons of your powder to the container. Allow the mixture to sit for about one day so the capsaicin works its way into the water. Afterwards, use the spray to completely coat the exterior of your storage space. Consider using the spray about once a month to make sure that the capsaicin scent remains strong.
If you need to use a storage unit for a period of time while you move from one home to another, then you want to make sure that your belongings are as safe as possible. This means keeping mice out of the space and the tips above can greatly assist you with this. Continue reading more about this topic here.
