Dealing with a pest infestation in your custom closet is no fun at all. The best cure for insects indoors is to prevent them in the first place. In addition to being unpleasant, pests can damage your clothes – they may even eat holes in them. You probably already know some common methods for preventing pests in other places in the home, such as not leaving food out in the kitchen. Preventing critters in the closets can seem more difficult, though, because you may not know what’s bringing them there in the first place.
When you know what steps to take to keep bugs from entering your closet, you’ll be able to protect your clothes to the fullest extent.
The word “pests” encompasses a number of different things. The pests that are looking to make a home in your closet may not be the same as the pests that invade your kitchen. No one wants to think about the possibility of being infested by multiple types of pests, but it does happen.
The Spruce lists various species commonly found in closets: carpet beetles, clothes moths, cockroaches, silverfish, and termites. It’s important to realize that all of these bugs can go anywhere. Cockroaches and termites may start in other rooms. If you find either of them in your closet, that's a good sign that you have a larger infestation in other parts of the house. Termites, in particular, are a sign that you need professional pest treatment, as home remedies are not typically effective on these bugs and they can be very destructive.
Other insects on the list are particularly well-suited for closet living, so preventing them from infesting the closet may also keep them out of the rest of the house. Clothes moths, for instance, lay larvae in fabric, and then the larvae feed on it. Crickets are not a common home infestation, but if they are there, a common way for them to arrive is to come in on clothes that are left outside to dry, so check before bringing them in.
Do you know how you make it a point to close up food in the kitchen so that it won’t draw bugs? You do that because you know the insects are looking for a food source. Well, so are the pests that infest your closet. You don’t need to be storing crackers in your clothes closet for pests to find food there. That mustard stain on your blouse will do. Even sweat, dead skin, and soil from your body that ends up on your clothes could make a meal for these creatures.
Make cleaning your clothes a priority. Do laundry regularly, even if you’re not out of clean clothes yet. Consider storing your dirty clothing somewhere other than your closet, or at least make sure that you use a hamper with a lid.
Pests don’t materialize from thin air – if they’re in your closet, they’re coming from somewhere. Closing off the access points to your closet before they get in can prevent them from ever becoming a problem.
Check your closet for cracks or holes in the walls. While larger holes may need drywall or plaster to seal, small cracks and holes can generally be addressed with caulk or sealant. It doesn’t take a big hole to allow insects in – they can squeeze into very small spaces. Fortunately, that also means it doesn’t take a lot of work to bar them from the closet. If you can find the cracks or holes and seal them, the bugs are out of luck.
Some natural substances discourage insects from entering an area, and putting these in your closet can help keep them out. Another advantage is that many of them smell good, so they can give your closet a pleasant smell while repelling pests.
Pests aren’t just looking for food to eat when they invade your space; they’re also looking for a place to hide. Do you know what a pile of clutter on the floor looks like to a bug? It looks like a nest, or at least a good hiding space.
Eliminate mess and clutter that encourages pests by making closet cleaning a regular routine. Pick up clothes off of the floor, put away accessories that have fallen down, and vacuum and dust to get rid of small crumbs and other debris. A custom closet design helps because you’ll have neat and organized spaces for storing your items instead of just dropping them on the floor or cramming them onto an overfull shelf. However, you still have to maintain cleanliness.
Closet pests aren’t something that you want to deal with if you don’t have to. By knowing what you’re up against, keeping your clothes clean, reinforcing any access points into your closet, using repellents, and keeping up with closet cleaning, you can prevent them from taking up residence in your closet.
DASI Innovations creates closet, garage, home office, pantry, and other storage designs that perfectly suit the look and feel of your space.
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