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Cardboard boxes, birdseed, and forgotten linens top the list of common items that create ideal conditions for rodents, insects, and termites, even in otherwise well-kept homes.
A clean home is no guarantee against pests. While poor hygiene is a contributing factor in many infestations, it is far from the only one. Rodents, insects, and termites are not necessarily searching for dirt – they are searching for food, warmth, and nesting material. In many households, those resources are hiding in plain sight.
Chris Townsend, Marketing Manager at Three Movers, a relocation company whose staff regularly pack and unpack homes, says the pattern is familiar. “When we’re packing up homes for moves, we often discover pest problems that homeowners didn’t even know they had,” he said. “It usually involves specific items that pests see as a five-star hotel.”
Below, Townsend identifies the six most common culprits.
1. Cardboard Boxes
The stack of delivery boxes accumulating in the garage or attic may seem harmless, but to a mouse looking for nesting material, corrugated cardboard is close to ideal. It is easy to shred, provides effective insulation, and the layered structure traps warmth – making it particularly attractive during colder months.
“Families store their belongings in cardboard boxes in the attic or garage, thinking they’re fine,” Townsend said. “Six months later, they open them to find shredded nests and droppings everywhere.” Hard-sided plastic storage bins eliminate the problem entirely.
2. Birdseed and Pet Food
Open or loosely sealed bags of birdseed and dry pet food are among the most reliable draws for rats and mice. Both products are dense in fat and protein – exactly the nutritional profile rodents seek out. A single standard bag of birdseed can sustain a small rat population for weeks, providing the energy needed for rapid breeding.
Storing these items in sealed, rigid containers rather than their original packaging significantly reduces the attraction.
3. Grass Seed
Grass seed stored in thin plastic bags in a shed or outbuilding presents a similar problem. Rodents can chew through lightweight packaging quickly, and once they have located a food source in an outbuilding, the transition into the main house – through gaps around pipes, under doors, or along foundations – is often straightforward.
4. Old Linens and Towels
Spare bedding, towels, and fabric items stored in low-traffic areas such as attics or under-stair cupboards offer pests something slightly different: privacy. The soft material makes effective nesting substrate for mice, while moths will lay eggs directly into undisturbed fabric fibres.
“Anything fabric-based that’s been sitting untouched for more than a season becomes a target,” Townsend said. “Mice love the privacy, and moths will lay eggs directly into the fibres.” Vacuum-sealed storage bags reduce both the accessibility and the appeal of stored textiles.
5. Firewood Stacked Against the House
A woodpile leaning against an exterior wall is effectively a bridge. Termites and spiders can use it to move from ground level directly to the structure of the house, bypassing the defences that would otherwise make entry difficult. The wood itself provides both food and shelter for termites in particular.
Townsend recommends keeping firewood stacked at least 20 feet from the building and elevated off the ground where possible.
6. Overripe Fruit
A browning banana or softening peach on the kitchen counter releases fermentation gases that fruit flies and ants can detect from a considerable distance. As fruit breaks down, the chemical signals it produces become progressively stronger, drawing insects directly to the kitchen.
Refrigerating fruit that is close to ripeness, or discarding overripe items promptly, removes the signal before it draws attention.
What to Do About It
Townsend’s overarching recommendation is straightforward: replace paper and cardboard storage with airtight, hard-sided plastic containers wherever possible. “This eliminates both the food source and the nesting material in one go,” he said.
For additional deterrence around entry points, he suggests peppermint oil or cinnamon, both of which interfere with the navigational ability of common household pests and can complement proper storage habits as a natural, low-cost measure.
The broader point, Townsend argues, is that many infestations are less a product of uncleanliness than of inadvertent hospitality – and that addressing a handful of storage habits can make a home significantly less inviting to unwanted visitors.
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