July 1, 2004

3 Min Read
Inside Self-Storage Magazine 07/2004: Plague Prevention

Plague Prevention

When Mercutio cries out, A plague o both yourhouses! in Act III of Romeo and Juliet,he meant more specifically, May pigeons roost on the eaves of both yourhouses! He must have.

Pigeons are a pestilence. At my last home, a family of about30 of these vermin would languish on the roof just above my uncovered patio. Aleisurely lunch with friends would turn into a bubonic banquet faster than youcould say foul (pun absolutely intended). I complained incessantly to myHOA regarding the squatters, to little avail. Six months of haranguing got me apaltry row of plastic spikes nailed around my HVAC uniton which, of course,the birds expressed themselves in a most colorful manner.

When my betrothed and I unloaded the trappings of our singlelives and combined households last year, we purchased a lovely home in arespectable neighborhood we were certain would be graffiti, litter and piccione free. I did a little dance when I relinquished thekeys to my town homethe dance of I am ever rid of those winged ratcreatures!

Now, the more sharp-witted readers are certainly cackling adevilish laugh as they think, Nay is this the end of the tale. They arecorrect. As I reclined for the first time on the deck of our new sanctuary,decadently sipping an apple martini and relishing the solitude of life betweenfences, I breathed a deep sigh of gratification Then suffered a conniptionupon hearing the galling coo of none other than my own sworn adversary.

Like the protagonist of Edgar Allan Poes The Tell-TaleHeart, I thought I must be imagining that most-dreaded sound. Slowly,tenaciously I upturned my gaze to the roofline. Meeting my startled stare was none other than a member of thatdespised tribe, nestled sweetly between an assemblage of plastic spikes and anelectric pest-dissuading device. Curses! I shrieked, and promptly downed my drink beforeit could be contaminated with gifts from above.

Those not amused by my anecdotes will be thinking, Get tothe point. Very well: This months issue focuses on the art of self-storagemaintenance and remodeling, emphasizing the importance of a properlyfunctioning, aesthetic facility that will lure customers like insects to a VenusFlytrap and earn you gobs of bottom-line profit. Just as I practice regularhousehold maintenance that includes hurling small rocks at birds on my roof, sotoo must storage operators devise a routine schedule for facility repair andcleanliness.

Whether yours is an older facility desperate forrefurbishments or a sparkling new site that needs only to be kept that way,simple attention to detail will save time and avoid unnecessary expenditure downthe line. Prevent the plague of neglect from swooping upon your business. Yourtenants, buildings and wallets will equally appreciate the effort.

Heres to mirthful maintenance,

Teri L. Lanza
EditorialDirector
[email protected]

Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter
ISS is the most comprehensive source for self-storage news, feature stories, videos and more.

You May Also Like