Do you have a habit of holding onto old shoe boxes or other cardboard containers? If you do, then your home could become a pest haven. Various pests, from rodents to insects, enjoy hiding out in and even eating cardboard.
If you are using cardboard boxes to store items in your home, or if you have kept hold of your old shoe boxes as storage, think about replacing them with plastic totes. Otherwise, pests could invade and infest your home.
Termites Eat Cardboard and Build Tunnels With It
Termites only eat cellulose, which is a material found in plant and tree cell walls. Since cardboard is rich in cellulose, termites will happily snack on it as they move through an area. Unfortunately, termites will use cardboard, along with saliva and mud, to build their tunnels. These tunnels help termites travel from one wood source to the next.
If you are storing cardboard boxes in a garage, basement, or room in your house, you could attract foraging termites. This could result in a costly repair bill if termites invade.
Cockroaches Eat Cardboard and Live in It
A close cousin of termites, the cockroach likes to eat cardboard too. But while cockroaches will eat just about anything, they prefer to live in dark, musty places, much like the environment inside a cardboard box or bag. If you store cardboard bags or boxes near your kitchen, you risk attracting cockroaches.
Silverfish Eat Cardboard and Live in It
Another common pest is the silverfish. Silverfish might not be as gross as cockroaches or as destructive as termites, but they can leave your clothes in tatters. Silverfish like to eat papery materials like books and cardboard. And since they prefer to live in places where there is little in the way of airflow, cardboard boxes are the ideal nesting spot for them.
If you store cardboard boxes in your home and you have noticed that your clothes are falling apart, you might have a silverfish infestation.
Rodents Use Cardboard for Nesting Material
Rodents like rats and mice use cardboard as nesting material and nesting sites. As such, a room full of cardboard boxes is a potential nesting site for roaming rodents, especially if that room gives them access to your food and water sources. Like cockroaches, rodents are dirty and can spread disease.
If you keep cardboard containers in your home, consider replacing them with plastic tote boxes. Otherwise, the aforementioned pests could soon invade. To learn more about how to prevent a pest infestation in your home, contact a company that offers pest management services.
When the cold days of winter start to strike, you may be lulled into thinking that pests go into hibernation at this time of year. However, I can assure you that this is not the case. In fact, if anything, you are more likely to see pests in your home during winter because they are looking for somewhere warm to hide. My blog is all about pest control. I share my thoughts on topics like how to spot if you have a pest problem, and how to stop pests getting inside. If you are looking for some pest control tips and tricks, then check out my blog posts.