How to Pest-Proof Your Warehouse

Published on May 7, 2020 by Sara Chauvette

Keeping pests away from your warehouse is always a good idea. Whether we are aware of it or not, rodents and other kinds of pests can cause us a lot of trouble. They can damage our items, spread diseases, and attract even more unwanted guests in our warehouses. That is why you need to think about ways to pest-proof your warehouse in advance, before anything bad happens. You know what they say – it is always better to be safe than sorry. Preparing your unit, and preventing pests from infecting it will take some of your time and energy; however, the end result will be worth your while. So, let’s learn more about the ways to pest-proof your warehouse.

Different types of pests require different plans of action, but the best thing you can do is keeping them out of your warehouse facility in the first place.

Keep your items clean and safe

You want your supplies and tools to stay in good condition – that is simply not possible if they get exposed to rodents or other species of pests. However, properly preparing your items for storage is something that will help you achieve this goal. Here is what you’ll have to do in order to ensure the safety of your items:

Plastic bags, airtight lids, and proper packing

The best thing you can do is to store your items in containers that won’t be easily penetrated by pests. However, this isn’t an option for most of us. Storing our belongings in such containers can turn out to be expensive and time-consuming. On the other hand, you can combine your packing supplies. Not every item needs to be packed and prepared for storing the same way. You can use plastic containers for items such as clothing or other fabrics. This way you will use your containers to their full potential.

Cleanliness

Even though this one seems obvious, most of the people who have encountered pest infestations forget about it. Cleaning your goods won’t be enough. Your facility needs to be clean as well. Also, keeping things clean is the easiest way to prevent an infestation arising in your warehouse or storage unit.

Segmentation

You should definitely keep your goods separated. This way, even if it comes to an infestation, not all your goods will be at risk. You will be able to save at least a part of them. Also, think about keeping the most important items sealed. This extra measure might seem a bit extreme, but it will pay off in the end.

Inspection

One of the best pest-proofing measures you can implement is frequent inspection. If pests penetrate your warehouse, it is always better to be aware of it early on before there is any real damage. Make regular, thorough inspections to spot any signs of rodents or any other type of pests.

Extermination plan

Just like we have mentioned above, being ready for any scenario is your best option. You should do everything that is in your power to prevent an infestation from happening, but if it occurs, you need a plan of action in place. The sooner you start dealing with the problem, the better. Here are some steps that you should take in order to exterminate pests:

• Inspect your warehouse (interior and exterior)
• Identify the pests you are dealing with
• Analyze their activity and patterns
• Treat the affected areas
• Implement the methods that will stop pests from spreading to uninfected areas
• Evaluate the treatment effectiveness and repeat if necessary

Also, handling pests in your warehouse can be a task you are not ready to take upon yourself. That is why you should consider contacting professionals to deal with this problem for you. It is always better to be safe than sorry and professional services are something that will take out the stress that comes with pests infestations.

Do not keep items that could attract pests

Food, perishables, different kinds of chemicals – all these things can and will attract pests. So, if you don’t absolutely have to, don’t leave them in your warehouse. And if you have to, make sure to store them properly. Plastic containers and airtight lids are your best options.

Keep your goods a couple of inches (or more) above the floor

This hack won’t help with all the pests, but making things harder to access for them is always a smart move.

Visit your utility often

Being up to date with everything that is happening in and around your warehouse is the best thing you can do. You need to be in the loop, and in charge. Something that will happen naturally if you visit your warehouse facility on a monthly, or even weekly basis. Here are some of the things you should be doing during your visits:

• Make sure the facility is well maintained, clean and safe
• Consider hiring pest control services monthly or quarterly
• Check if access areas (doors and similar) are in good condition
• Inspect the garbage plots for the presence of hidden debris and similar items that could attract pests

Author bio:

Maria Porter is a moving and storage professional interested in everything relocation and warehousing related. She currently works at golansmoving.com and has a lot of experience in the matter. Her main goal is reaching a wider audience and educating people about ways to make these matters easier on themselves.