PODS aren’t bugged by pests

 In Storage

Creepy crawlies and pests go hand-in-hand with living in Australia. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t control where they live and breed. We take pest control at our Storage Centers seriously, investing a lot of time and money into pest control management to ensure your goods are stored in as safe an environment as we can make it.

All PODS Storage Centres are pest sprayed annually by professionals for spiders, cockroaches, silverfish, ants and other creepy crawlies. Fresh baits are laid monthly for rats and mice.

In addition, PODS routinely inspects each Storage Centre and office location. We do this on a monthly basis, looking for any evidence of pest or vermin activity.

Pest free storage and PODS StorageIf you are planning to place your goods in storage, to protect your own personal possessions whilst in storage, and to help maintain the integrity of the pest control at our Storage Centres, it is critical that you thoroughly check all of your own items as you place them into your storage container. This includes clothing, furniture and boxes – from both inside and outside the house. If you think there’s a chance of bugs, spray insecticide before storage. If something is infested with bugs, consider throwing it out.

As the customer, you are the only person who has access to your locked storage container. You lock the container – you keep the key. Therefore, you are responsible for ensuring there are no creepy crawlies or vermin hiding in your belongings when you place them into the container. We know that no one would purposefully place vermin or pests with their belongings when putting them into storage, but it could inadvertently happen.

Pests and creepy crawlies, by their very nature, are clever at hiding in small spaces. If you do your own annual pest sprays at your home or business, chances are you may be pest free, but the nature of our climate means that we can’t be complacent, so it is best to always be on the lookout for pests.

When it comes to storing your goods for a month or more, we suggest you place cockroach baits inside your storage container. If you are storing for a long time and have any doubt about pests, we recommend that you inspect your container every few months – to know for certain that nothing uninvited has come into the container while you were packing it, and that everything inside is safe from pests and vermin.

Rodents and mice are great at stowing away in boxes from garages and sheds, and they can breed very quickly. Some common mice breeds can give birth to a dozen baby mice every three weeks. They will eat and gnaw at anything they can sink their teeth into. Cockroaches can be even better stowaways. They can squeeze into cracks and breed like crazy. They are hardy pests, able to survive for weeks or even a month without food. In addition to damage done to goods, there are health issue with pest and rodent droppings.

We can’t stress enough how important it is that you CHECK EVERYTHING BEFORE you place it into storage. That goes for storage in a PODS storage container, any self-storage unit, or any other portable storage facility.

Not sure what pests you may have lurking around your home or office, or what you are looking at if you find them? Have a look at this page on the CSIRO website. It is a guide to Australian insect families.

Some Storage Dos and Don’ts

DO

  • Do be pro-active – give all furnishings, boxes, appliances, tools, everything, a good look over as it goes into your storage container to check that nothing has hitched along for the ride.
  • Do thoroughly clean EVERYTHING that stored food BEFORE you place it into storage; and throw away all food items.
  • Do thoroughly check for moisture, mould of dampness before storing items. Some pests and creepy crawlies like a bit of moisture, so this could be a hiding place for them. Plus you don’t want mould or mildew to grow while in storage.
  • Do wrap and box everything that goes into your container – that way you can check for pests while packing, and it will add extra protections to your goods. Plastic containers with lids that tightly seal are a good idea. And plastic mattress bags are great for mattresses and furniture.
  • If your area is known for vermin or other pests – be especially vigilant when checking your goods.

DON’T

  • Don’t store food – of any sort – in your container. Firstly it violates the terms of the rental agreement that you sign when you store with PODS; secondly food can attract rodents, insects and other pests. It can also rot and create some nasty odours.
  • Don’t be complacent! We live in Australia. Pests, bugs and creepy crawlies are a part of life in this country. Time taken to check everything thoroughly when packing will save a lot of time, headache, heartache and money when unpacking.

 

 

 

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