According to Chris Townsend, marketing manager at the UK-based moving company Three Movers, many families inadvertently create ideal environments for mice and insects, particularly during cleaning or relocation.

Cardboard boxes and Styrofoam: a warm "hotel" for rodents

Many people use paper boxes to store belongings in attics or storage rooms. However, the corrugated structure of cardboard retains heat well, making these boxes particularly appealing shelters for mice as temperatures drop. Similarly, Styrofoam containers also serve as ideal "bedrooms" for rodents.

"We frequently observe this issue when helping clients move," Townsend shared. "Many families store items in paper boxes, only to open them a few months later and find their belongings chewed up for nests, with rodent droppings scattered everywhere."

Illustration: Nigel Harris.

Pet food

Storing pet food in storage rooms or garages attracts rodents. High in fat and protein, these kibbles provide abundant nutrition, allowing them to maintain energy for rapid reproduction.

In fact, just one 5 kg bag of food can sustain a family of mice for weeks. If stored only in thin plastic bags, rodents can easily chew through them.

Linen and bedding closets

Fabric items left unused for extended periods (more than one season) are prime targets for mice and moths. Mice often seek privacy in closets to build nests, while moths lay eggs directly into fabric fibers, causing damage.

Chris advises that any fabric items left unused for long periods should be regularly inspected or stored in sealed containers.

Firewood piles against house walls

Stacking firewood against the exterior walls of a house effectively creates a "highway" for termites.

Termites will nest in the woodpile before infiltrating cracks in walls or floors to attack the home's wooden structure. To ensure safety, families should place firewood piles at least 6 meters away from the house.

Overripe fruit in the kitchen

A forgotten banana or orange in a fruit bowl will quickly decompose.

This process emits chemical signals that act as a guidance system, attracting flies, gnats, and ants from hundreds of meters away to your kitchen.

Nhat Minh (According to Mirror)