So it’s getting hot, really hot, and all sorts of bugs are probably trying to take refuge in your house. But when it concerns your home, you at the very least have the benefit of noticing when the bugs are getting into your house and calling the exterminator when you see them. What could be worse, however, then coming back to your storage unit after a few months to find cockroaches and other bugs breeding amongst your old Neil Diamond records? Not a whole lot.
And living in not just the moral, but physical, desert of Las Vegas and its suburbs comes with unique insectile challenges. Like scorpions— they get in your house, they hide under the rug or in the bathtub drain, they’re fascinating little creatures but they suck. And the last thing you want is to find them hiding in the pockets of your winter coats. Scorpions feed on other insects, so in a well maintained, indoor las vegas storage facility like ours, they’re not going to be too much of a concern.
If you’re worried about them, though, in your home, closet, or storage unit, there are some things you can do pretty easily. First make sure that nothing is damp, and that the storage space is well ventilated (again not a problem with our units) so that moisture doesn’t accumulate over time. Second you can use glue traps under doors and window, or near any cracks where the bugs can get in. Boric acid is also a good general insecticide that won’t be harmful to household pets.
In general, you want to make sure that anything you intend to store for any amount of time is very clean, that means no crumbs on furniture and make sure to carefully clean all kitchen appliances before you put them away. Cockroaches and other bugs are attracted to dark, hot spaces, and that sounds like a good description of anyone’s house during the summer. Use moth balls with clothes and other boxed items. Glue strips and other passive traps work to keep roaches and scorpions out of your storage space.
Bedbugs, however, are notoriously hard to kill. Don’t put anything into storage if you’ve had a bedbug infestation, just cut your losses and throw that old mattress away because you definitely do not want those little guys propagating when your back is turned. In the end, the best techniques are the simplest, good ventilation, a clean unit and clean storage items, combine these things with a few moth balls and glue traps and you should be having no problems.