With weather changes, seasonal décor, and holiday seasoning coming to a close the question arises: “How do I store all this stuff?” And of course once this time of year comes back around and we open the boxes another comes up: “Who packed all these bugs in here?” This blog will lay out several issues that may come up with storage, as well as several tips for how to keep your treasures safe!
Clothing:
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
From winter coats and fuzzy leggings to sacred cows and clothes that are a little too tight now after all the holiday food, clothing will often dominate most storage space and need to store properly
A few pests to prep for:
Spiders love to nest and hide, especially Brown Recluse if you live in the south. Moths will not only nest but their larva will eat the fabric. And too much moisture can put a damper on any outfit.
A few tricks to try:
The best solution is a great seal around the clothing. The best thing to do is use a tote that has a good seal around the edges and a strong closing mechanism like a handle that latches, preferably on all sides. Another solution is to use a space saving garment bag that vacuum or ziplocs closed.
Trees/Wreaths:
Photo by Anastasiya Vysotskaya on Unsplash
Christmas trees are notorious for never fitting back into the box they came in and wreaths aren’t much better! With these large foliage like items exposed in your storage, it can definitely be attracive to several pests.
A few pests to prep for:
Most insects will gravitate towards these due to the fact they are made to resemble a natural habitat. Mice especially love nesting in the limbs and staying warm, they can chew through the boxes and can make it very cozy for having babies. Being out and exposed to light and air can make the needles fade.
A few tricks to try:
Christmas tree bags work great to store trees that break down. The trees fit in nicely and zip up well. Though the canvas can be chewed through by mice, it for the mouse to look for a less resistant nesting area. With wreaths, the plastic totes that latch closed should be perfect!
Décor:
Photo by Kirsten Marie Ebbesen on Unsplash
Most other decorations are usually safe and unbothered in a cardboard box and not the biggest concern for bugs, but still there are some concerns.
A few pests to prep for:
Roaches love paper, especially wet paper. Do not use an overabundance of packing or newspapers to protect your décor. Spiders of course love any little nook they can hide in. Mice will use fabric, papers and other materials they can break off to build cozy nests. And then of course moisture will ruin whatever it can. Also be mindful of heat, candles will melt in an attic and glittery red wax is not fun to get out of Rudolph’s fur.
A few tricks to try:
The same rule of thumb applies: sealed nicely. Totes with strong latches and a good seal are preferable. Use as little packing paper as needed since most boxes will only be moved twice the whole year.
In conclusion, try and think like a bug or mouse and decide how welcoming your storage space is. Hopefully these tips have helped, but if you do need us to come evict those mice or spiders give us a shout!
