Cardboard Boxes: The Secret Enemy in your home for Mold, Roaches, and Mice

As a property manager, cardboard boxes are not my friend.  A frequent call I receive from homeowners and tenants is:  “The recycling was not picked up today.”

Often, card board boxes were either left by the recycling bins (if this was a condominium with a common area recycling center) or, cardboard boxes were left on the side of the road next to their toter (if this was a townhouse, villa, or single family home).  In both scenarios, the cardboard boxes were intact and not broken down.

The rule is:  Cardboard boxes need to be broken down, flat, laying on the grown.  If there is more than two, they need to be tied in twine for the recycling company to take them.  Otherwise, the recycling company is going to pass over the cardboard boxes and move on to their next pick up.

Meanwhile, I have a recycling company calling me who is also frustrated that homeowners are not following the rules and homeowners who are upset that they are carrying cardboard boxes back into their home.  These boxes are likely damp, wet, bugs could be crawling on them, or in them… and what is happening now, when they have to bring these cardboard boxes back inside of their homes? Whatever critters may have entered onto the boxes have been literally given a passport into their home. 

Why are Cardboard Boxes a Problem?

Cardboard is an invitation for some unwanted visitors to create comfy nests inside of your home.  Whether these unwanted visitors are mice, rats, other small mammals, or bugs or some sort…cardboard boxes in your basement or attic provide a warm, dark, soft, comfortable space for these unwanted visitors to make a happy home away from the humans in your house.

For bugs, the nests are perfect and ample in cardboard boxes.  The tight corners and compact areas make cardboard boxes a perfect space to hide.  This is a prime breeding ground where the creatures can multiply and hide from the human eye.  Dark, secluded, and undisturbed, these bugs thrive living hidden from human contact.  Basements, attics, closets, and storage areas are perfect for them to inhabit, occupy, and build roach (or other bug) colonies to infest your home.

These cardboard boxes can also be a source of food and water to these unwanted visitors.  The cardboard itself provides organic fibers, in particular, tree fibers, for pests.  These fibers are a wonderful treat for roaches, and other bugs like beetles, silverfish, and moths.

The glue used in cardboard is like a candy to these bugs: it emits a sweet smell that attracts these bugs to the boxes just as candy does to a baby or a small child.  The smell is so powerful to the bugs that it is almost like setting off a flare to tell all of the bugs that a new cardboard box has arrived and they can now come infest it.

These bugs have the ability to digest the cardboard too, so that not only do they enjoy the sweet tasting glue, but the cardboard itself provides a continuous meal for them.  It’s truly like giving candy to a child in a candy store.

The cardboard boxes serve another function for these unwanted critters:  the corrugated cardboard edges that look like an egg crate, enable moths and roaches alike a place to lay their eggs.  These bugs want to lay eggs in a dark, undisturbed places so they can hatch and infest human-filled homes.  Bring this cardboard in your home is the perfect invitation for this to occur!

The Cardboard also provides a source of water for these unwanted visitors.  The cardboard can not only gather water from possible leaks in a foundation (in a basement) or a roof (in an attic), or any other crack that occurs in a house (windows, siding, failed caulking, foundation joints, cracks in the foundation, etc.) but cardboard retains moisture that when consumed by the pests, provides water to them.

For Mice and other rodents, cardboard boxes serve as a nest, a chew toy, and a source of nesting material.  Mice have teeth that continuously grow.  They have to keep chewing in order to keep their teeth trimmed so that their teeth do not become misaligned with their jaw.  If their teeth do not stop growing, the mouse will not be able to eat and will actually die from their lack of chewing.  This is one of many reasons mice have a need to constantly chew.  It causes mice to chew through any and everything they can in your home, including drywall, wires, bags and boxes of food, and anything they can get their paws on. 

Mice can nest in cardboard boxes found in the attic and basement and love to chew on cardboard boxes.  The Mouse carries this cardboard material back to an area where it has selected to make a nest tucked nicely in its mouth.  The cardboard pieces it has chewed up is then spit out of the mouse’s mouth and made into a nice, comfy, cozy nest.  Mice create nests in a 10-25 feet radius from their home as they breed often and quickly, reproducing litters of offspring (5-10 at a time) every three weeks.  When a nest is found it is often abandoned and a mouse may not return to it, unless her young are left behind or it is deemed safe to return to that nest.  An ample supply of cardboard boxes provides an ongoing chew toy and nesting material for this unwanted tenant in your home.

The Truth About Mold on Cardboard Boxes in Basements and Attics:

Wet cardboard is just an invitation for further problems.  When cardboard becomes wet or damp, it traps and absorbs moisture.  If it is not properly dried, the cardboard can start to decay which can lead to mold growth.

🦠 Mold grows in certain conditions.  Warm and damp spaces provide an ideal condition for mold growth.

🦠 Mold is caused by excessive moisture.  Mold can be found in any area that has excessive moisture, an ideal temperature, and where it can find food.  Cardboard is highly absorbent and retains excessive moisture.

🦠 Mold thrives on organic matter. Mold can grow by feeding on materials like drywall, wood, dust, paper, books, and cardboard boxes. Mold can grow quickly on wet paper products including cardboard boxes, that are often placed in basements and attics. 

🦠 Cardboard boxes become a wet nightmare in attics and basements.  Cardboard boxes can become wet when they were sitting outside and brought back inside, from high humidity, or from leaks that occur and may have been left unattended.

🦠 Cardboard boxes may be stacked in tight spaces.  Cardboard boxes may be stacked too close together in a basement, attic, or other area, not permitting proper air flow.

🦠 Basements are created out of poured concrete that lead to moisture.  Basements often have poured concrete walls and floors that can let in moisture, creating conditions favorable for mold. Introducing cardboard—a natural material that mold feeds on—can worsen the problem.

🦠 Mold loves to eat paper because paper products are organic and made of cellulose.  Mold produces enzymes to digest cellulose to help with eating process. This makes cardboard boxes a magnet for mold.

🦠 Too many homeowners vent air conditioners, dryer vents, stoves, and bathroom vents into the attic, creating humid conditions.  If you have any venting in your home from your air conditioner, dryer, stove, or bathroom that go into the attic, and the attic does not have proper airflow, you are inviting mold growth into the attic.  Adding mold-loving card board boxes is just an invitation for mold to continue to grow.

🦠 Vacuuming is more than just cleaning—it’s mold prevention. Mold spores are airborne and can settle in damp, warm areas within 24 to 72 hours, quickly forming colonies. Regular vacuuming, especially of carpets and rugs, helps remove these spores before they take hold. To keep your home healthier, aim to vacuum at least once a week using a vacuum with a HEPA filter, which is designed to trap tiny particles like mold spores.

Cardboard Boxes in your Home:  Why Does It Matter?

What is the big deal if damp cardboard boxes come back in from the recycling center or curb, and back into your house?  How does possible bug, mice/rodent infestation, or mold problems, affect you as a homeowner?  Let’s review each of these areas separately, noting that some common themes will occur between the three topics.

Bug Infestation in your Attic or Basement

-        Property Damage:  Roaches can chew through wood and paper.  This can weaken the structural integrity of buildings causing severe property damage and structural issues.

-        Cardboard Boxes:  Create a nice home for roaches (and other bugs).  They nest in the egg carton edges of the cardboard, hide in the dark corners, and chew threw the cardboard.

-        Health Concerns:  Leave fecal droppings like black pepper causes staining and damage to property as well as the spread of diseases and possible triggering allergies. 

-        Location:  Roaches seek food, water, heat, and humidity.  Shelter found in attics and basements, especially in cardboard boxes, is an ideal home.  If the attic has a leak from a roof, or if there is a gap to the outside, it provides a corridor for the roach to move back and forth to water, food, and shelter.

-        Decreased Property Value:  Bug infested homes will have a lower sale value.

-        Fire Hazards:  Roaches can nest in electrical junction boxes and outlets which can cause short circuits and fires.

How Does a Mice or Rodent Infestation affect your Basement or Attic?

-        Property Damage:  Mice will chew through any and everything that is not lined with steel wool or copper mesh if they can gain access into your home:  Drywall, insulation, wiring, and cardboard boxes.

-        Cardboard Boxes:  Cardboard boxes become an ideal chewing toy for mice, nest, and nesting material.

-        Health Concerns:  Mice carry diseases and this can be transmitted through bites, on their bodies, and through their fecal matter.

-        Location:  Mice like dark and damp locations to nest, making basements and attics a prime home.  If you add cardboard boxes, you are giving them a nest and chew toy, too.

-        Fire Hazard:  Mice can chew through electrical cords which can lead to electrical fires.

-        Decreased Property Value:  If mice have infested your home, your home will have a lesser value.

What Happens if Mold Grows in Your Attic or Basement and it is not Remediated?

-        Structural Issues:  In an attic, mold can continue to grow and transfer to roof sheathing and other structural components of the house.  Mold feeds on wood, and wood is a commonly used structural component in housing.  Mold can compromise the structural integrity of a house by eating the wood and roofing structure such as beams, rafters, and plywood.  In a basement, wood can decay structural items such as sill plates, framing, and girders which provide support and structure to a home.

-        Health Concerns:  Mold is an allergen.  It can cause allergic reactions to those who are allergic to mold and may cause respiratory issues in some people.

-        Energy Deficiency: If your attic is not properly ventilated, mold can easily grow.  Without proper insulation and venting, the attic can become overheated and humid, encouraging mold growth, in addition to increasing heating and electric bills unnecessarily.

-        Decreased Property Value:  If your home is moldy or has mold in it, your home automatically decreases in value.  While home inspections are not as popular as they once were, inspections are starting to occur again.  Some homes may still be selling “as is” but buyers are negotiating when mold is found and either knocking off tens of thousands of dollars after receiving mold remediation estimates, or canceling the deal all together making the seller lower the price on the market and hoping for a buyer who will accept the new sale price and not attempt to negotiate for less.

Comparing the Problems of Cardboard Boxes:  Bugs, Mice, and Mold

In reviewing the comparison of problems of cardboard boxes between Bugs, Mice, and Mold, you will find a few comparisons:

	Roaches & Bugs	Mice & Rodents	Mold
Structural Issues	Creates issues to wood and other structures	Creates issues to wood and other structures	Creates issues to wood and other structures
Cardboard Boxes	Encourages a home for pests; absorbs moisture and provides food; hidden, dark, moist area	Encourages a home for pests; absorbs moisture and provides food; hidden, dark, moist area	Encourages mold growth; absorbs moisture and provides food; hidden, dark, moist area; tight areas encourage mold growth
Health Concerns	Disease travels with bugs; may cause illness	Disease travels with mouse; may cause illness	An allergen that may cause allergic reactions and respiratory issues.
Location	Dark, wet, humid areas create home for bugs	Dark, wet, humid areas create home for mice	Dark, wet, humid areas create home for mold
Property Value	Decreases with bug infestation	Decreases with mice infestation	Decreases when mold remediation is not performed prior to sale.
Other Notes	Can cause fire hazards, nesting in electrical boxes	Can cause fire hazards, chewing through wires	Energy deficiency occurs when there is not proper insulation and too much humidity

How Can We Help at My Water Damage Hero?

At My Water Damage Hero, we have a trusted listed of recommended contractors that we can refer you to for assistance for all of the problems mentioned in this blog, or any others that you may experience at your home.  Please refer to our blog of recommended contractors.

For Mold Testing and Mold Remediation, our team at My Water Damage Hero, stands by to be of assistance.  We have a licensed Industrial Hygienist (IH) on staff and have been performing mold testing and mold remediation for the past ten (10) years.  Having served over 3,100 happy customers in the five (5) county area, we are here to help you make your home mold-free, too.

Our recommendations to take to improve your home to be mold-free this summer include:

1.     Remove all Cardboard Boxes from your Home.  Change your storage containers to plastic containers with air tight lids.  Ditch the cardboard.  This will prevent bug, mice, and mold issues related to card board boxes.  Just remember to breakdown those cardboard boxes for your friends at the recycling companies whether you tie them with twine and place them by your toter at the curb, or at the Condominium’s recycling center.

2.     If you have mold, remediate it.  Contact us at My Water Damage Hero for a free estimate.  We will provide you with an estimate for remediation but note, that estimate has a timeline for expiration --- as mold will continue to grow and get worse.  So you want to act sooner than later, because the damage will get worse (and the price will increase).   

3.     If you remediate the mold in your home, purchase a three (3) or ten (10) year warranty through My Water Damage Hero.  When you hire My Water Damage Hero to perform your mold remediation, we will ask you if you want to purchase a three (3) or ten (10) year warranty. These warranties are transferrable with your property so that if you are selling your home, the warranty transfers with the deed of the property – not with you.  That’s right! Our warranty does not expire because you sold your home, and it does not expire because you left your home.  The warranty carries with the land, or with the deed, and transfers to the new homeowner!  Give the new homeowner peace of mind knowing that they will be mold-free and that you cured the problem.

4.     If you are planning to sell your home, have it tested for mold.  Be open and honest.  Provide air quality samples with mold testing results that show your home is mold-free. While many buyers are waiving inspections, some are not.  By getting ahead of the game, you are more likely to receive your asking price if you can prove that you have already tested for and proved you do not have mold in your home.

5.     Contact one of our recommended roofers to make sure your roof is properly ventilated.  Proper airflow is so important and without it, mold can form in the right conditions.  We recommend contacting one of our preferred roofers (see list below) in order to schedule an appointment to review your roof and attic to make sure you have proper air flow in your attic.  Please refer to our blog of recommended contractors.

6.     Ask us to perform a free attic and basement inspection for mold today.  We can come to your home and inspect your basement and attic for possible mold.  If we see what may appear to be mold or a condition that may lead to a moldy situation, we can advise you and recommend a mold testing to be performed.  It is best to get ahead of this now, before winter arrives when mold may just continue to grow causing further structural damage to your home.

Summary:

📦 Cardboard boxes pose hidden risks in homes, especially when improperly stored or brought back inside damp. They attract mold, insects, and rodents due to their organic composition, moisture retention, and structure.  Cardboard boxes are a pest magnet, offering shelter, food and material for bugs (like cockroaches) and mice.  Their glue and fibers are edible and attractive to these pests.  Cardboard can easily become damp and wet, leading to the accumulation of mold spores.

📦 Cardboard boxes should be discarded once items are bought to prevent pest infestation and mold growth.  While mold spores may be present in the home at all times, regular vacuuming and cleaning, with decreased clutter, proper ventilation, and controlled humidity can help decrease the likelihood of mold spores gathering and accumulating.

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My Water Damage Hero, is a local, family-owned business based in King of Prussia, PA, and a trusted disaster recovery company with over a decade of expertise in mold inspection, writing mold reports, performing mold remediation, and reconstruction. Our team includes a licensed industrial hygienist (IH) and certified mold specialists, offering comprehensive mold-related services for both residential and commercial properties.

We've broadened our offerings and services to include:

• Water and flood damage restoration

• Fire damage and smoke damage repair and restoration

• Sewage cleanup

• Odor elimination (including cigarette, recreational drug, and pet odors)

• Air duct and HVAC cleaning

• Carpet cleaning (including pet stain and odor removal)

• Full reconstruction services

📞 Reach out to us by phone at 610-228-7440 or visit our website at www.mywaterdamagehero.com to learn more or schedule your free estimate today.