One of the biggest worries many people have when they put their items into storage is that they'll return to the storage unit a few months later and find that their things have been gnawed on or nested upon by rodents. While choosing a clean, well-maintained storage facility is the first step in avoiding rodent infestation, there are four other things you should do to ensure mice and rats don't start thinking of your belongings as home.

Clean everything first.

Just a few crumbs can attract mice, and once they're in your belongings, they're likely to start building nests. Ensure everything is as clean as possible before you put it into storage. Remove crumbs from your toaster. Clean out your refrigerator thoroughly. You should even be sure to wash your pot holders and dish towels so they don't smell of food. If you're storing pet supplies, be sure to wash them, too. They might smell of pet food, which would make them attractive to rodents.

Keep drawers and doors shut.

Rodents love small, enclosed spaces like the drawers of a dresser or the corner of a cabinet. Store all of your items with the doors and drawers closed, so they cannot get into these spaces. If there are doors on a cabinet that like to swing open, place a box in front of the cabinet to hold them closed.

Put items directly against the wall.

If you leave a few inches of space between the wall and your items, this gives rodents a perfect little alleyway to run down and makes it easier for them to crawl into your unit from the next unit, should there happen to be a hole in the wall. Save your pieces of furniture with completely flat backs and shove them completely against the walls. Alternatively, leave a foot or more of space between the wall and your belongings, so it's more exposed and less cozy for rodents.

Visit often.

Rodents don't like places where there is a lot of human activity. They prefer dark, quiet corners. If you visit your storage unit often, by turning the lights on and making some noise, you'll be less likely to have an infestation. Obviously, this may not be possible if you're relocating and leaving your items in storage in a different town. However, if you can manage to swing weekly visits to your storage unit, it's a good strategy to try to employ. To learn more, contact a company like Route 37 Self-Storage.