Stockpiling in an emergency is a very common thing for most people to do. Just look at how they react to a black Friday sale. In some countries looting can be severe and whole stores can be emptied out in a matter of an hour or two so we are lucky to live in a country where people just overstock. However, those people who overstock have another issue they will have to deal with.
If you face any pest issues during this sensitive time, be sure to contact licensed professionals with the experience to take care of your pest issue.
Rats and mice are very attracted to cluttered houses with lots of food in the pantry. They will be drawn to the many smells and will find it easy to hide amongst the many boxes and packages. You may even start seeing mouse poop days after bringing home a huge hall of stuff. Rats and mice are very good hiders and can use this mass of stuff to avoid being noticed. You will end up finding feces with no sign of actual rodents. Now there has been no medical research on the transmission of covid-19 from pests but that is because we are all too busy trying to survive the pandemic in the first place, but if rodents can carry plague and salmonella, it sure seems possible that they could bring covid into your home.
Ants are also a serious danger as containers leak and fill your house with sweet smells. Even without leaks your house will be filled with the smell of food and will definitely attract every ant in the area. The danger is very real, they will crawl into your hoard of food and make a nest, and slowly consume the residues of your food while endangering your health and wellbeing.
The result of your stockpiling likely will be rodent and ant infestations that will lead to sickness and possibly the spread of covid-19. So don’t be a hoarder, you could get COVID-19!