If you have a pest infestation in your old home, and are currently moving to a new one, you need to be extra careful to ensure that none of those unpleasant insects are able to come with you, as this can rapidly infest your new home and continue the nightmare. Fortunately, there are several extremely important and effective steps that you can take to ensure that when you leave your old home behind, you're leaving the pests behind as well.
Small Appliances and Decorations
For small appliances and home decorations that you want to bring with you, you should perform a thorough inspection to make sure that there are no signs of insects on any of their surfaces, both interior and exterior. Look for eggs, droppings, shell casings, and anything else that could point to signs of an infestation.
If you do decide to bring items with you, be sure to seal them in a clear plastic bag. This way, when you move into your new home and you happened to miss a pest, they'll be stuck on the inside of the bag instead of scurrying away. This makes eliminating them much easier.
Food
Food items, especially dry goods like rice and flour, should be inspected for signs of infestation as well. In general, it's a good idea to just throw them away, but if you absolutely have to bring a specific item with you, place it in the freezer overnight to kill any insects or eggs which may be on the packaging.
Rugs and Upholstery
For softer items of furniture, you'll want to inspect them up close for dark stains (excrement) and small black dots (shell casings). These are both signs that you should consider either having your furniture professionally cleaned if you want to bring it with you, or simply replacing it. However, you can use a steam cleaner to eliminate small amounts of pests and remove their waste from smaller items. In addition, for small area rugs that can be easily rolled up, you can stick them in the freezer overnight to have all of the pests within them killed, and then throw it into the washing machine to clean it off.
Throw Things Away
In general, while inspection, careful cleaning, and all of the other techniques described above can be a good way to ensure that your new home isn't exposed to the pests of your old home, it isn't foolproof. If at any point you have doubts about the items that you're bringing with you, it's always better to err on the side of caution and throw them away. You can always replace your things, but eliminating pests is a complex, expensive, and drawn out process that you don't want to go through in your new home.
For more information, contact companies like Bekins Van Lines Inc.
Share15 September 2017
When it comes down to it, moving can be extremely difficult if you aren't prepared. In addition to being faced with going through your home to sort out all of the details, moving also involves a heavy focus on rebuilding your life in a new place, which can be daunting. However, understanding how to resolve some of these challenges early on can be simple, especially if you are faced with a large or cross-country relocation. This blog is all about being able to resolve moving problems proactively, so that you don't have to endure the stress involved with moving on your own.