How to Move Without Bringing Cockroaches (and Other Pests)
I had a friend who once lived in a small, run-down Manhattan apartment that was infested with cockroaches. When she left, she told me that she had to inspect almost everything she had, because the nightmare bugs were literally everywhere. (Clearly, that was the main reason she moved in the first place.) If you’re moving from a place that’s slowly filling up with cockroaches , bedbugs, moths, or other pests, you obviously don’t want to repeat yourself. an experience. To avoid bringing insect civilization with you, here’s what you can do.
List of places to check for cockroaches
Your first step is to check everything . Cockroaches and other pests can hide almost anywhere – they appear out of nowhere. If you just pack all your stuff without doing your due diligence, you will almost certainly be acting like a Roach Uber. Before you pack your item, check:
- Books. If you have a home library, shake out each book before packing it. Believe it or not, if you have cockroaches, you may very well find them there.
- Technique. Cockroaches (and other insects) love the warmth and darkness of appliances, even ones that you may not think are very welcoming. Toasters, ovens, microwaves – check everything if you take it with you. This may include a flashlight and some light disassembly.
- Devices. Insects love your laptops, desktops, and other devices for the same reason they love your kitchen appliances—darkness and heat. Just be prepared for an explosion of horror if you rip the cover off your cockroach-infested desktop.
- Picture frames. Insects sometimes camp behind your photos because they are a calm, dark place that is rarely disturbed.
- Potted plants. Potted plants and the bags of soil you use for them are ideal homes for a variety of beetles. If you absolutely must move houseplants to a new home, inspect them carefully and repot them in fresh soil if necessary.
- Furniture. When was the last time you lifted a sofa cushion? The sofas and couches you sit on every day can harbor an army of stealthy pests. Before loading them into the truck, lift each cushion and inspect carefully.
- Clothes and wardrobes. Are there moths? If you’ve ever seen a small brown moth fluttering around your home, you might be surprised to find out what’s hiding in your closets. Killing adults won’t do much (besides some dark revenge for your ruined clothes) – you’ll need to dry clean, bake or freeze all your clothes and then pack them in airtight bags before shipping.
- Mattresses. If you have bed bugs, then you’re probably (very) aware of this fact, but it’s a good idea to have your mattress checked anyway. Take off your bed linen, lift up this suction cup and look closely at the telltale signs. Alternatively, if you can afford it, throw away the old mattress and start a new one in a new location.
- Moving boxes. If you have collected a billion cardboard boxes for your move, be careful. Cockroaches, for example, love them – they have seams and folds to hide in, and the glue used in their construction is amazing. Check each box before you pack anything in it – this is especially true if you saved a few dollars by sourcing boxes from local businesses, or if you are reusing boxes that have been sitting in your basement for years.
- Animal food. Pet food can be the perfect hiding place for bugs, as these half-empty bags provide both shelter and food. It’s safest to just throw it all away, but you can also pack all of these pieces in airtight containers for the trip, making sure there are no surprises.
As for those cardboard boxes, yes, they are cheap and plentiful, but if you can wave them around, a sealed plastic container is a much better choice for moving your stuff around. This ensures that once you’ve certified something as pest-free, it stays that way.
Clear All
The next step after checking for parasites is a complete cleaning. And I mean everything . You are at war here, now is not the time to relax or be lazy. Wash or dry clean all your clothes (hot, unless the label says otherwise) and immediately pack them in plastic containers. Run the dishwasher (again, on the highest setting) and pack your cutlery and kitchenware straight out of the dishwasher—again, in plastic containers if you can.
Wash up – the last thing you should do after you pack your things and clean up the infected apartment or house you lived in is to take a hot shower and change into fresh clothes. Pack the clothes you’re wearing in plastic (or wash them, or maybe burn them) and hit the road before anything can catch you.
Pre-treat your new home or apartment
Finally, after you have inspected, cleaned and put away all your belongings and made sure, as much as possible, that nothing will travel with you to your new location, you should call an exterminator or at least pre-treat your home with your own hands. new space. Your new home will be empty and (presumably) clean, so this is a great opportunity to inspect it for signs of insects and then apply insecticides to make sure they don’t show up after you move in. Without furniture, utensils, or clothing, you can sneak into nooks, nooks and crannies, and other hidden places.
You might also want to consider a bed bug mattress cover , since you’re starting with a clean slate. This can help prevent bed bugs from getting into your bedding in the first place, and since you’ve just spent all that time and energy cleaning every aspect of your life, why not make it important?