When it comes to pests, cardboard boxes are not your friend. Cardboard is susceptible to moisture and humidity and attractive to many types of insects. Use plastic bins with lockable lids.
Moving is stressful enough without having to deal with pests. Bugs in cardboard boxes are more common than you might think, but don't worry—we have you covered. Read on to learn exactly how to keep bugs out of storage boxes.
To offer an extra layer of protection from dust and pests, wrap your cardboard boxes in plastic wrap or store them inside resealable plastic bags.
Cardboard is made from cellulose, a plant-based material that many pests find appetizing. Certain bugs, such as silverfish, cockroaches, and termites, are drawn to cellulose as a food source. These pests can chew through cardboard, causing damage to both the boxes and the items stored inside.
In the meantime, one tip for how to keep pests out of cardboard boxes is to use bug spray or other verified pest repellents to keep them from getting too close. Many people forget how important winter pest control is. Don't let them use these months to move in!
Cardboard boxes provide great places for roaches to hide within the manufactured structure of the box.
Wardrobe boxes are the best way to transport suits, gowns, and other valuable items. But before packing, give them an extra layer of protection. Garment bags keep your clothing free of dust, dirt, hair, and odor, while preventing wrinkles, snags, and pulls, so your clothes arrive as good as new.
Cardboard boxes not only make a tasty snack for hungry cockroaches, they also provide a cozy space for these creepy critters to hide and breed.
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.
Cardboard boxes are highly attractive to pests: Both rodents and insects alike are fond of either chewing on cardboard or nesting in boxes made of it. Either way, you're opening yourself up to a possible infestation as well as compromising what's inside.
Pour Diatomaceous Earth on them or spray peppermint and bay essential oils. I had this problem too with palmetto bugs getting into my cardboard boxes in the shed. The best thing to do is to change everything to plastic Sterlite or Rubbermaid bins.
Spiders are naturally attracted to dark, undisturbed places, including corners, cupboards, closets, storage boxes, piles of paper, cardboard, and clutter. Some spiders may even take refuge in bedding, laundry, or toys.
Some people use bug spray, mousetraps or poison to deter unfriendly pests. To keep things kid-safe, use some peppermint oil, a spray bottle and cotton balls. You can spray the cotton balls with the peppermint oil and stick them inside furniture, boxes and so on to keep the critters away while your stuff is in storage.
Consider treating used boxes with bug spray or applying a few drops of essential oils (such as lavender oil, eucalyptus, or peppermint) to deter bugs. Carpet beetles, clothes moths, cockroaches, and silverfish all eat organic fibers whenever they have the opportunity.
Anything that's safe to store in these rooms should still be put away in an airtight plastic container with a lid to keep environmental elements out. Cardboard boxes will deteriorate due to heat and water, and animals and bugs will snack on them or possibly use them for nesting materials in the meantime.
Their nests are found near materials such as lumber, firewood, bricks, rocks, and cardboard. If you find odorous house ants inside your home, the source of the problem could either be outside, or near a moisture problem inside your home, problem areas are near pipes and heaters, or beneath toilets.
Leaving the light on doesn't deter cockroaches effectively because they can navigate in low-light conditions. While they're mostly active at night, they may still come out in search of food or water. During the day, cockroaches hide in dark areas not directly exposed to light.
Mint. It has been said that cockroaches dislike the strong smell of mint, so using this scent in your home can be effective in keeping these pests away.
Cockroaches are blessed with an amazing sense of smell. This is what they use when seeking food and mate but at the same time, this is also their weakness. A cockroach's sense of smell can be used to get rid of them.
Attractor #1: Food
What attracts cockroaches more than anything is food. Roaches need food to survive. Eliminating access to food can help eliminate a roach problem. Throw away any food that has been left out on the counter.
Nocturnal Nature
Cockroaches are primarily nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night. However, they can be attracted to light sources if they associate them with food. This behavior can lead to unexpected sightings, especially in kitchens and other food preparation areas.
It's also important to inspect baseboards, utility pipes, and crawl spaces for gaps and seal cracks or holes. If you live in a multi-unit home, seal between units around pipe and wall junctures to help keep roaches away. Additionally, ensure windows and doors are secure and use weather stripping to prevent new cracks.
Cardboard moving boxes are easily recyclable, if you want to simply get rid of your moving boxes, recycle them. Recycling cardboard is effective, helps the environment, and reduces the cardboard waste that stacks up in landfills. Recycling also conserves water and reduces energy consumption.
When is it too early or too late to start packing? In general, most moving tips suggest the average household should start packing one to two months before the moving date. These packing tips organize your packing timeline into week-long phases.
Cardboard boxes stack well, edge-to-edge, so they don't slide around in a moving truck and because they fit snugly against each other, they take up less space, which means you may pay less. If you are paying by the pound, you will also save money as cardboard boxes are more lightweight than plastic containers or totes.