The garage is an ideal place to store belongings such as holiday decorations or seldom-used tools. But, when you want to start using the garage for active projects or to store another vehicle, you will need to find another home for your possessions that no longer fit into the space. Selling or donating them is certainly an option, but when this is off the table, you should consider renting a storage unit. To keep harmful pests from coming along, you need to follow a few steps before putting your items in storage.

Treat the Garage with Pest Control

The first step to getting rid of any pests that may be invading your goods is to use pest control. The standard method is to create an imaginary barrier with pest control products around the entire garage door, and then along the walls. This should prevent new pests from getting inside and current pests from escaping your garage alive. If you know that you have some kind of pest issue, you should spray the perimeters of any plastic bins or boxes you have. As soon as pests leave the area, they will get hit with toxic chemicals that stop them immediately.

Go Through All Papers and Books

If you have important documents or books that you are safekeeping in the garage and have no intention of getting rid of them, you should go through all of the boxes containing these items. There are quite a few bugs that can survive just by eating paper, such as silverfish, termites, and cockroaches. If any of these critters are feasting on your things, you could come back to permanently damaged books or papers. You should remove everything from containers, check for pests, and then put it all into plastic bins. These bins will keep pests from being able to eat their way inside or find small crevices to squeeze through.

Thoroughly Wash All Fabric Items

Many bugs that eat paper also eat fabric, such as silverfish, firebrats, and cockroaches. Once you eliminate these pests, you may find out that they have laid their eggs in your items that are made of fabric. If so, you should put all the clothes, towels, blankets, and bed sheets through a hot wash before putting them away. This will kill any bugs that may have hidden away or eggs that were previously laid.

Pests can cause a great deal of damage, so it is best to follow these tips to eliminate all of them before you put some of your possessions into a storage unit where you may not see the items for months.

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