Okay, friend. Pull up a chair. We need to have a real heart-to-heart about something I see way too often. You’ve got a storage unit, or you’re thinking about getting one. Life is cluttered, you’re making space, and you start looking around at what you can stash away.
And then your eyes land on it. That giant, half-full bag of dog kibble in the pantry. The twenty cans of soup from that panic-buying phase we all went through. The bag of potting soil and fertilizer for the garden.
“I’ll just put it in storage,” you think. “It’s fine. It’s sealed.”
Let me stop you right there. As someone who has been in this business for years and has seen the aftermath… please, listen to me. Storing food, plants, or pet supplies is a disaster waiting to happen. It’s the number one mistake people make, and it’s a costly one.
Here’s the unfiltered truth, from my eyes to yours.
Food Isn’t Just Food in a Storage Unit
Think about what lives outside. Mice. Rats. Cockroaches. Ants. Spiders. Their entire life mission is to find food and shelter. Your nice, dry, quiet storage unit? That’s prime real estate. That bag of rice or dog food? That’s the free grand opening buffet that invites them all in.
Here’s what you’re not picturing, but I’ve seen it:
- A mouse doesn’t just eat your food. It needs a nest. It will shred your baby’s christening gown, your favorite novels, your tax documents, and the padding of your antique chair to make a home for its babies. Right on top of your things.
- An ant colony doesn’t stay in the bag. They march. They explore. They die in the seams of your couch.
- That “sealed” plastic bin? Mice can chew through it. Ants can find a microscopic gap. The smell alone is enough.
And it’s not just dry goods. Canned goods can explode in high heat. They can rust. That one can of chili that got forgotten? It can slowly leak, creating a sticky, rancid mess that soaks into the unit floor and everything around it. The smell will never, ever come out of that box of Christmas ornaments.
Plants? You’re Storing a Living Thing in a Dark Box
This one breaks my heart a little. I get it. You’re moving, you’re renovating, you love your fiddle-leaf fig. “I’ll just put it in storage for a week or two,” you say.
A storage unit is a tomb for plants. No light. Stagnant air. Wild temperature swings. That plant will be dead in days. It will drop leaves, attract fungus gnats to the dying soil, and you’ll be left with a pot of sad, moldy dirt.
And don’t get me started on bags of soil, fertilizer, or grass seed. That’s just food and housing for pests, packaged differently. You might as well put up a neon sign that says “Bugs Check In Here.”
Pet Supplies: The Sneaky Culprit
This is the one that tricks smart people. It’s not human food, so it feels okay. Wrong.
That 50-pound bag of dog food, even unopened, is a siren song for rodents. That container of birdseed? A gourmet feast. That bag of natural, wheat-based cat litter? You see where I’m going.
And it’s not just food. That cozy dog bed? If it has any pet hair, dander, or a whiff of saliva on it, it’s a target for moths and carpet beetles. They’ll eat right through it and then move on to your wool rug in the next box.
So, What Can You Do?
The rule is simple: If it is, was, or could be food for any living creature, it doesn’t belong in a standard storage unit.
- Food: Donate it to a food bank. Give it to a neighbor. Use it up. Just don’t bring it here.
- Plants: Give them to a friend with a green thumb. See if a local nursery will board them. Please don’t sentence them to the dark.
- Pet Food: Buy smaller bags. Keep it in your garage at home in a true, locking steel container. Donate what you won’t use.
- Pet Beds & Fabrics: Wash them in HOT water. Dry them completely. Then, and only then, seal them in a vacuum bag or airtight plastic bin.
Here’s the Thing We’re Both Trying To Do
When you rent a unit from us at B&D Self Storage, you’re buying peace of mind. You’re trusting us to keep your memories and your valuables safe. Our part is providing a clean, secure, well-lit facility with solid locks and great customer service.
Your part is to not accidentally undo all that by storing the one thing that brings the trouble in.
I’m not telling you this to be a downer or to give you more rules. I’m telling you because I’ve had to make the awful phone call. I’ve seen a family open a unit to find their grandmother’s quilt destroyed by mice that were feeding on a single forgotten box of pasta. It’s heartbreaking, and it’s 100% preventable.
We’re partners in this. You store your life here—your seasonal clothes, your kids’ keepsakes, your business inventory. Let’s keep it simple, clean, and safe. Leave the snacks at home.
Trust me on this one. Your future self will be so glad you did.
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