The primary purpose of investing in a storage unit is to keep your belongings safe. However, the mice defeat this purpose in a matter of days once they get inside. That’s why it is necessary to take preventive measures before they take over your storage unit and ruin everything within reach.
There are several steps you can take to reduce the chances of mice invasion, including setting up traps and protecting your items using simple techniques. Continue with this guide on how to keep mice out of your storage unit to secure your possessions expertly.
Why Do Mice Like Storage Units?
Mice are looking for three things in a storage unit: food, shelter, and safety. Food is the most obvious necessity, and mice will eat just about anything, from crumbs on the floor to boxes of cereal.
Shelter is important for mice because they are small and vulnerable to predators. A storage unit offers them a safe place to hide away from danger. Finally, mice like storage units because they are typically dark and quiet.
This provides them with a sense of security that they would not find in a more open and exposed space. So if you’re wondering why mice like storage units, it’s because they offer everything a mouse needs to survive.
How Do Keep Mice Out of My Storage Unit?
There are many things you can do to keep the mice out of your storage unit. Let’s have a look at some of the techniques:
Halt the Food Supply
Mice are always looking for scattered food on the floor. If there are food items on the ground, that’s usually what sparks their interest in the first place. That is why you should stop putting all kinds of food in the storage unit.
If you want to keep the extra supply of pet food inside the storage unit, make sure to enclose it in an airtight container. It is also for the best if you place that container on a top shelf, instead of the ground. Doing so will make it harder for the mice to access the food. You can also put the containers in a wire cage with a lid to make sure they don’t get in.
Seal Your Trash Can
Another thing you should do to keep your storage unit a mice-free zone is sealing your garbage and trash cans tightly. If there is no access to old trash whatsoever, there will be an even less chance for the mice to invade your space.
You can achieve this by tying the trash bag tightly and placing it in a can with a lid. If you want to be extra safe, put the can in a wire cage as well.
Seal the Potential Entry Points
Mice only need a quarter-inch of space to gain access in a storage unit. It is necessary to seal all the potential entryways before a mouse finds that opening. It is also necessary because once the mice are inside, you will have to do a lot more than this to get rid of them.
You can use weatherstripping or caulk to fill in the gaps around doors and windows. It would be best if you also used a door sweep to close the gaps at the bottom of your storage unit door. Doing all of this will make it challenging for mice to get inside in the first place.
Remove Paper and Cardboard Items
If your storage unit is littered with cardboard and paper items, you should immediately clean that up as mice like to chew through these things. If you have cardboard boxes, you should replace them with plastic containers or put them on upper shelves instead of putting them directly on the ground.
It would be best if you also shredded or recycled any unwanted papers inside the storage unit. Doing so will eliminate one of the mice’s favorite snacks and make your storage unit less appealing to them.
Keep It Fresh and Clean
This is the most prominent point to act upon if you want your place free of mice and pests. The storage unit should always be thoroughly clean, including all the nooks and corners. Once the area is pristine-clean, there will be zero chances of rodent infestation.
You should regularly sweep and mop the floors, and clean any spills immediately. If there are any food items inside, make sure to eat them or throw them away before they go bad.
It would be best if you also used air fresheners and scented candles to keep the place smelling fresh. These things will also mask any food smells and make your storage unit less attractive to mice.
Use Natural Pest Repellants
Mothballs work well to repel mice in the storage unit. However, they are not a wise choice because of the horrible smell they leave on your belongings. There are other natural repellants you can use to deter the mice, including:
- Pepper
- Cloves
- Cedar blocks
- Soaked cotton balls in lavender or peppermint essential oil
You can also use a mixture of these things to keep mice away. Place the repellents in different areas of the storage unit, and replace them every few months.
Visit Your Storage Unit Time-to-Time
Rodents tend to reside in storage units when the place is unattended for a long time. That’s why it is necessary to visit your unit every month and check for signs of pests and rodents. You should look for droppings, holes and cracks, and the presence of bugs. If you find any of these warnings, make sure to contact the management, informing them of this matter.
You can successfully keep the mice out of your storage unit when you stick to these instructions. However, you should also know what to do if the mice are already inside your storage unit.
Mouse Trap Baits
Before we get into how you can get rid of mice in your storage unit, let’s work out what to use to lure the rodents into the mouse traps.
While mice are natural seed-eaters, they prefer high-calorie food items as well. Here are a few options you can choose to attract mice that are recommended by experts:
- Peanut butter
- Gumdrops or sweet candies
- Marshmallows
- Cheese cubes
- Beef jerky
- Bacon
- Buttered crackers
- Hot dog chunks
- Chocolate
- Nuts
- Pet food
- Maple syrup
Mice have a strong sense of smell, which makes it essential to choose items as bait that have a powerful enough scent.
The female mice gather materials for nesting in fall and winter seasons, which gives you the advantage of using the following items as mouse trap baits:
- Wool
- Yarn
- Twine
- Dental floss
- Any other kind of fabric
You can tie these fabrics to the mice traps, just like any food item. When the mouse pulls the fabric attached to the trigger, the trap will spring and confine it immediately.
How to Get Rid of Mice Once They Are Inside the Storage Unit
Keeping the mice out is not that difficult as you only need to make sure of some preventive measures. But you will need to work intelligently once they have managed to trespass into your storage unit.
Here is what you can do to rid your storage unit of the mice:
Set Up Mouse Traps
The best thing you can do once the mice are inside is to set mouse traps. It would be best if you placed many traps throughout the storage unit. It will help you catch them, and sometimes they alert the mice of danger, forcing them to leave your unit on their own.
Keep It Squeaky Clean
Keeping your storage unit clean is a must if you want to stop all mice activities there. Once your unit is clean, the mice will find elsewhere to nest, leaving your storage unit.
Wrap the Furniture In Plastic
If you are storing fabrics and upholstered furniture in your storage unit, it is best to wrap them tightly in plastic. It will protect your possessions from all kinds of rodents and moths while deterring them away.
Keep Your Items Slightly Raised Off the Ground
Another way to get rid of mice is to elevate your items off the ground by putting them on raised shelves and trolleys. Clean the shelves with alcohol disinfectants beforehand to repel the mice.
Do Not Store Food
When you deny the mice their food supply, they won’t stay in your storage unit for much longer. You should make sure there are no food items in your storage unit that could attract mice. Remember to put the pet foods high above the ground if you plan to store them in the unit.
What To Do When Your Mouse Trap Bait Is Not Working
You should consider the following factors while setting up mouse traps or when your mouse traps are not working anymore:
Switch It Up
Sometimes when you start using bait, it works well initially. However, with time, the efficiency rate drops down. That may be because you must have been using the same bait for a long time, and it has stopped affecting the mice now. You can solve this problem by experimenting with other varieties of baits.
Experiment With More Than One Kind of Mouse Trap
If your mousetrap is not working as bait, try to replace it with another type of trap. You can find several kinds of mouse traps in stores. It is always smart to buy more than one type when you get mouse traps in the first place.
Change the Locations
If the current spot is not working to bait mice, find other spots where you have more mice activity. Try to place the traps near the areas where the mice nest and sleep. If the traps are not working near high-traffic areas, you should locate them a few feet away.
Buy Highly Sensitive Sensor Traps
If your mouse traps are in the same place while the bait is always gone, it means your trap’s trigger is not sensitive enough. You should invest in a mousetrap with a highly sensitive sensor, so even if there is a small mouse, it can detect the weight and trigger the spring mechanism immediately.
What Are The Best Mouse Traps?
There are several types of efficient mouse traps available in the market. The most popular mice traps include:
- Plastic snap traps
- Electric mouse traps
- Plastic enclosed snap traps
- Ultrasonic pest control units
- Glue traps
- Catch and release mouse trap
What to Do When Mice Avoid Traps?
Mice are much smarter than you might think. When they detect danger in a particular area, they steer clear of that spot. If the mice are avoiding the traps, you should give them some time to get used to the permanent set up of mouse traps without using bait. Once they are comfortable with them, start adding bait to the traps for catching the mice.
Now that you know how to keep mice out of your storage unit, you can act upon the given instructions to get rid of them. If need be, you can use the same techniques inside your house to eliminate mice invasion.
Related questions
How do I get rid of mice in my house?
Mice can be a real nuisance in the home, but there are several ways to get rid of them. One way is to use mouse traps, which can be baited with cheese, peanut butter, or other food. Mice are also repelled by strong odors, so try using mint, citrus, or lavender oil around the house. You can also try setting up a ultrasonic pest control unit, which will emit high frequency sound waves that will drive mice away.
Are mice dangerous?
Many people are scared of mice, and for good reason. They are small, agile, and very good at hiding. Plus, they can carry diseases that can be dangerous to humans. However, not all mice are dangerous. In fact, some species of mice are actually quite friendly and make great pets. So, the answer to the question “are mice dangerous?” depends on the type of mouse in question. If you’re ever unsure, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and avoid contact with any wild animals.
What kind of damage can mice do?
While most people think of mice as cute little creatures, they can actually cause a lot of damage. Mice are known for chewing through wires and insulation, which can lead to fires. They also like to gnaw on wood, which can weaken the structure of your home. In addition, mice are carriers of disease, and their droppings can contaminate food and surfaces. As you can see, mice may be small, but they can have a big impact. That’s why it’s important to take steps to prevent them from getting into your home in the first place.