My neighbor on Copper Ave said to quit storing cardboard in my garage, and it cost me $260 to learn he was right

Stella Wright · 2026-10-01T10:40:03.604511+00:00

So I ran into my neighbor Ray while I was hauling out recycling last Saturday, and he asked why I keep a stack of Amazon boxes in my garage. I said it was for packing stuff up later, and he just shook his head. He used to do pest control here in Albuquerque for 15 years, and he said cardboard is basically a hotel for roaches and silverfish, especially in our dry climate where they hide in the corrugated layers. I blew it off until about 3 weeks later when I pulled out a box and a bunch of earwigs and one big roach came pouring out onto my shoes. I called an exterminator, and he confirmed the exact same thing Ray said. That visit ran me $260 for the initial treatment plus a follow up. Now I flatten and recycle everything the same day it comes in, and I keep one plastic tote for anything I actually need to store. Ray didn't even say I told you so, he just laughed and handed me a cold Modelo. Does anyone else keep boxes around for way too long, or am I the last one to get the memo?

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My neighbor on Copper Ave said to quit storing cardboard in my garage, and it cost me $260 to learn he was right | Albuquerque Homeowners - Hub Chatter