If you're going to be placing your personal property in a self-storage unit, you want to make sure your belongings are protected against pest invasions. Even if your storage facility provides pest control services, around the perimeter of the buildings, pests can still be carried into the individual units by other customers. Those pests can crawl through adjoining units to get to yours. Here are four steps you can take to protect your belongings from pests such as mice and roaches.

Be Sure Your Property is Clean Before Placing in Storage

One of the best ways to keep pests out of your storage unit is to eliminate the enticement. Your belongings should be thoroughly cleaned before moving them into the storage unit. This is particularly important for your furniture and clothing. Food odors can invite pests. Be sure your clothing is washed and dried before placing them in storage bins. Table tops should also be cleaned to remove food residue or grease that might be present.

Use Plastic Containers

Before you use cardboard boxes for your storage containers, you might want to reconsider. Pests such as mice and roaches can get right into those cardboard boxes. Once inside, they build nests and destroy your belongings. You can prevent the damage by storing your property in plastic bins. Pests will have a harder time getting into plastic containers, especially if you seal them tightly. Place your belongings inside the bins and place the lids on them. Seal the edges of the bins with duct tape. The duct tape will prevent the pests from crawling up and under the edges of the lids.

Clean and Inspect Your Storage Unit Once a Month

Once you have everything packed into your storage unit, you'll need to keep a close eye out for pest activity. The best way to monitor your storage unit is to clean it out once a month. A quick sweep with your broom and an inspection of the unit will allow you to catch pest activity quickly. Be sure to look along the edges of the storage unit, in between storage containers and on top of the lids for signs of pest activity. Some signs to look for include:

• Rodent droppings
• Egg casings
• Dead bugs

If you're going to be placing your property in storage, you want to make sure it's safe from pests. The tips provided here will help keep bugs away from your belongings. If your storage facility provides pest control services, be sure to let management know if you find signs of pest activity so they can take care of the problem for you. For more information, visit a self-storage facility like Sentry Mini-Storage Inc.