If you’ve got a mouse problem in your storage unit, you need to act fast. To help, we’ve put together these 7 tips on how to get rid of mice in a storage unit. It will help you to eradicate any minor rodent problems you might have so you can protect the items you love. If you have these destructive creatures causing issues in your storage unit, read on!
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Millions of people store their belongings in storage units. From clothing to cars, storage units are an excellent way to keep all your items safe. Even with all that extra protection, there’s one problem that happens from time to time. Pests — small, yet very damaging. Mice, in particular, can sneak into just about any building, even storage facilities.
There’s no doubt about it, mice are damaging little creatures. They have a nasty habit of gnawing on soft materials and damaging any items underneath. That includes wires, wooden furniture, boxes, plastic, you name it. Even worse, mice leave behind their droppings and urine. That’s not only just plain gross; it can also become a health hazard if the problem isn’t eliminated.
Tip 1: Use Mouse Traps to Get Rid of Mice in a Storage Unit
This tip is what they call a “no-brainer.” Mousetraps are a traditional way to get rid of mice. Using them in your storage unit is an easy and inexpensive idea. You can use humane mousetraps if you don’t want to kill that furry little nuisance. While humane mousetraps are more expensive, they’ll save you a little guilt in the long run.
No matter what kind of mouse trap you use, you’re going to need bait. One thing that many people don’t realize is that you don’t need food as bait. Here’s the thing; mice gather materials, like string and cloth, for making nests. Using string instead of, say, cheese or peanut butter works just as well! We actually prefer this method. First, there’s no food to attract other vermin. Second, it’s easier and less of a mess.
Non-food items you can use to bait a mousetrap:
- A small piece of string
- Yarn, wool, or twine
- A small square of fabric
- Dental floss
Tip 2: Wrap Furniture to Get Rid of Mice in a Storage Unit
Mice, as mentioned earlier, will chew on anything soft. That includes the wood and materials used when making many pieces of furniture. If you have a mouse problem, you should take your furniture out of your storage unit and wrap it in plastic. Then put it all back inside, making sure the plastic stays in place and doesn’t tear. That way, once the mice are gone, they don’t have anything to tempt them to come back.
STORAGE TIP: To prevent a mouse infestation, wrap your furniture before putting it in storage.
Tip 3: Remove ALL Food to Get Rid of Mice in Your Unit
Mice have an advanced sense of smell. In fact, 1% of their DNA is solely used for olfactory receptors. That means, even if it’s only a tiny amount, they will smell any food stored in your storage unit. That’s why we ask our tenants to never keep food in storage. If you have food in your storage unit, remove it ASAP. That goes for pet food, dry, boxed foods, and anything not in a metal can or glass container. (Again, we do not recommend storing any food, even if it’s sealed.) If your facility allows you to keep sealed food in your unit, put it as high as possible so it’s hard for mice to find.
STORAGE TIP: To prevent a mouse infestation, don't keep food of ANY kind in your unit.
Tip 4: Remove Everything and Clean Your Storage Unit
Depending on how much you have in your storage unit, this could be a lot of work. However, if you have a nasty mouse infestation problem, it’s necessary. That way, you can remove anything that mice might find attractive. That includes food, material, cardboard, and string. Remember that mice, like most rodents, make nests. To make them, they need materials like string, fabric, etc. If there’s a lot of junk or debris in your storage unit, mice will love it! They’ll have all the things they need to make a nest! So, again, the best way to keep mice from returning to your storage unit is to eliminate anything they use.
STORAGE TIP: To prevent a mouse infestation, clean and organize your storage unit regularly.
Tip 5: Use Alcohol and Mint Oil to Get Rid of Mice
Many people use shelving in their storage units to store things more easily. If you clean your storage unit out to get rid of mice, clean every shelf too. Spray each rack with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and mint oil. Humans love the smell, mice, rats and many other kinds of pests hate it. The active ingredients in mint oil have actually been proven to repel misquotes at the same rate as DEET. You can use this at home, too. It works like a charm! (Just keep your household pets away from any area you spray.)
Natural Mice and Pest Repellent Spray Recipe:
- 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol
- 1 teaspoon of mint oil (peppermint, or spearmint)
Mix the rubbing alcohol and the mint oil together. Place the mixture in a spray bottle and spray any non-porous shelf surface in your storage unit with it. The fragrance will wear off over time, so make sure to keep the peppermint oil fresh to maximize its effectiveness. Re-spray your unit once every two weeks for the best results.
Tip 6: Let the Storage Facility’s Manager Know
Here at Moove In Self Storage, we pride ourselves on keeping our customers’ items safe and clean. We work closely with pest-control professionals to ensure our facilities remain mouse-free. If you find that you have a mouse infestation but are unsure why, please let us know right away! If the problem is coming from another storage unit, we will pinpoint it and correct the problem.
STORAGE TIP: Tell your facility manager about an infestation at the very first sign (including droppings and damaged boxes).
Tip 7: Store Items in Plastic Containers with Sturdy Lids
If you’ve cleaned your unit and want to prevent more messes, large plastic bins and boxes can help. They exponentially decrease the rate that mice will enter a storage unit. Not to mention, you’re able to easily see what’s inside a plastic box. Plastic bins are perfect to keep materials that are attractive to mice safe and sound. Just make sure your plastic bins have sturdy lids so that a mouse can’t squeeze in. We recommend Sterilite plastic bins for their size selection and latching capabilities.
Wave Goodbye to the Mice in Your Storage Unit
We hope these 7 tips will help you get rid of mice in a storage unit. (Your storage unit, specifically.) Once you’re rid of your mouse problem, make sure to take the necessary steps to prevent bugs and rodents from re-entering your storage unit.
At Moove In, we are very conscientious about keeping our self-storage facilities extremely clean. Frankly, mouse infestations aren’t usually a problem for us. However, they do occur occasionally. If you have one, please let us know right away so we can help! Until then, we wish you an enjoyable, mouse-free day!
