Storage guide
Pest-Resistant Garage and Pantry Storage
Containers, shelving and small fixes that keep pantry insects, rodents and roaches away from food, seed and stored belongings.
The principle: take away food, water and shelter
Integrated pest management, the approach recommended by the EPA and by UC IPM, starts with prevention: denying pests access to food, water and harbourage before any treatment is considered. Storage is where most households can make the biggest difference.
Pantry and kitchen storage
- Use airtight containers. Glass jars with gasket lids or rigid plastic with snap-seal lids. UC IPM's Pantry Pests note explains that beetles and moths can get into paper and thin plastic packaging.
- Rotate stock. Use older flour, grains, dried fruit, nuts and spices first, and check them when you open them.
- Wipe shelves before restocking. Spilled flour in shelf-pin holes and corners feeds insects.
- Mind the cabinet gaps. Openings around pipes and at the back of base cabinets are routes for cockroaches and mice. See cabinet gaps.
Garage: pet food, bird seed and garden seed
Bags of pet food, bird seed and grass seed in a garage are a classic attractant for rodents. Move them into metal or thick plastic bins with tight lids, and keep the bins on shelving rather than the floor.
| Item | Container | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Dry pet food | Metal can or rigid bin with a locking lid | Off the floor, away from the door |
| Bird seed | Metal can | Ideally not stored in the garage at all |
| Garden and grass seed | Lidded bin or sealed jar | Cool, dry shelf |
| Holiday decorations and linens | Lidded plastic bins, not cardboard | Upper shelves |
| Paper records | Sealed bins | Indoors if possible |
Garage and storage-area openings
Even well-organised storage won't help if there is an open path in. UC IPM notes that mice can squeeze through very small openings, and the CDC's hantavirus guidance recommends sealing gaps and holes inside and outside the home.
- Garage door bottom seals and side weatherstripping.
- Gaps where pipes, conduits and cables enter walls.
- Damaged vent screens and openings under eaves.
- The gap between the garage and house door threshold.
Small gaps can be sealed with appropriate materials such as steel wool with sealant, metal flashing or hardware cloth. Persistent activity or larger structural openings are a job for a pest-exclusion professional rather than a storage fix.