How to Keep Mice out of Storage Boxes

When we put stuff away in storage boxes we assume our stuff is going to stay in perfect condition until we need it. But this is not always the case.

Insects and small animals can cause damage to storage boxes and their contents. Giving you an unwelcome surprise the bottom falls out or you find the items inside have been chewed and ruined.

Mice are small rodents, capable of causing a great deal of damage when left to chew on storage boxes. They can find their way into attics, basements, sheds, garages, storage units, just about anywhere.

So, if you know there are mice in your area, have had problems with them chewing on your boxes before or you want to make sure you don’t get any nasty surprises when you pull your boxes out of storage, here are some steps to take to keep mice out of your storage boxes:

How to Keep Mice out of Storage Boxes

Declutter Your Storage Area

Mice love clutter. They find places to hide, they will make nests and will feel safer having places to rest and hide.

Newspapers and cardboard are perfect for them to chew and make nests from. Which is one reason why they are often attracted to cardboard storage boxes.

Keep the area as free from clutter as possible. Stack boxes in an orderly fashion with as few spaces as possible for mice to hide in, and if possible keep the boxes off the floor.

Use Peppermint Oil

Mice hate peppermint oil. It’s one of the best natural repellents to keep them away. You’ll find peppermint oil in a lot of over the counter mice repellents, or you can just use some of the oil in concentrated form.

A few drops on a ball of cotton wool can last weeks. You can also spray it around the bottom of your boxes, or use it in a cleaner when cleaning up the area. The best part, it smells great!

Check for Obvious Entry Points

Although they are crafty little creatures and will find ways into attics, lofts, storage units, etc when you thought the area was watertight, making it as difficult as possible is a good deterrent.

Check for any holes, cracks, and spaces they might crawl through. Mice can slip through holes as small as 1/4 of an inch, so seal up any holes that aren’t needed for a purpose. If you have air vents with holes add a mesh to them.

Secure Food in Airtight Storage Containers

There are two things that will attract mice in numbers. Food, and water. If you’re storing food you should lock it up in airtight plastic containers.

If you have any leaks or water sources these need to be sorted out too. There is even a small chance that mice will chew through a plastic storage box too. So use some peppermint, raise it off the floor, do something else to make it difficult for them.

Use Humane Traps

If you want to rid the area where you’re keeping your storage boxes of mice sometimes the only way is to use humane traps and remove the mice.

More than enough methods here on how to keep mice out of storage boxes and storage units. It’s really not that difficult, as long as you notice when they are signs of mice activity and take action your possessions in storage will be safe.