How To Move Without Taking A Pest Infestation With You

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How To Move Without Taking A Pest Infestation With You

No one wants to live in a pest-infested home. If you're moving out of a building that has a roach or ant problem, you're probably thrilled at the chance to get away from the creepy crawlies. But if you don't want a repeat of the problem in your new home, you'll need to make sure that you prepare and pack for the move in a way that avoids bringing the pests along with you. Take a look at some moving tips that will help ensure that you don't bring any hitchhikers to your new home.

Avoid Cardboard Boxes

One way to make sure that bugs don't come along with you to your new home is to avoid packing your items in cardboard boxes. Cardboard boxes are hard to seal completely, and even if your cardboard boxes have lids, the material can be chewed through or burrowed into. You're better off using plastic boxes with lids that can be sealed tightly.

If you must use cardboard boxes, make sure to get new ones from your moving company, not used ones from a supermarket or boxes that have been sitting around in your infested apartment. If you have a storage unit or if you're moving locally and you have access to the new home already, try to pack the cardboard boxes and bring them straight to your storage space or new home instead of letting them sit around the house.

Take Care With Appliances

Electronic appliances are handy places for roaches to hide. They're attracted to warmth, so the heat that an electronic device puts off can be inviting, and it's hard to get them out once they get in. When it comes to small appliances, like toasters and coffeemakers, it may be better to throw them out if they're infested. However, if you need to keep them, you can try putting them in clear plastic bags and putting them in the freezer. Roaches can't stand the cold, and a few hours to a few days in the freezer will kill them.

If you happen to live in a cold environment and are moving during the winter, you can also use the cold treatment on large appliances by moving them out to an unheated garage or outbuilding so that they can be exposed to the cold. However, if you don't have access to cold temperatures or a safe, unheated place to store your large appliances, you'll need to use other methods to get rid of the roaches. You can use cockroach bait or dust containing boric acid, silica, or diatomaceous earth to kill the cockroaches without contaminating your appliances with poison.

Inspect Your Houseplants

Even plants that stay indoors and aren't vulnerable to aphid or caterpillar infestations can be affected by household pests like roaches and ants. Household pests are just as comfortable burrowing into the warm, wet soil in your potted plants.

Inspect the leaves, stems, and pots before you pack the plants up to move. You may need to repot infested plants before moving. If you have a severe infestation, you're better off discarding the plants and getting new houseplants for your new home.

Wash Your Clothes Before Packing

A dark closet is a great place for all kinds of bugs to hide, from typical household pests like roaches to pests who are specifically attracted to cloth, like moths. Luckily, machine washing and drying your clothes, towels, and bed linens is a simple way to get rid of most types of bugs.

If you have a severe infestation, you may want to consider washing your clothes at a laundromat instead of at home. Pack the clothes at the laundromat and bring them directly to storage or the new house. For a milder infestation, it's fine to wash the clothes at home, but you should still pack them directly after taking them out of the dryer instead of putting them back in an infested closet.

Packing and moving when you have a bug infestation requires a little more caution and care than packing and moving when you don't have an infestation. It's worth taking the time to take the proper precautions to avoid bringing a bug problem with you when you move. 



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