5 Tips to Pest-proof Your Garage
Let’s be honest—garages see far less maintenance and upkeep than the inside of our homes. And the less your garage sees a broom, the more susceptible it is to pests settling in and calling it home.
Follow these five tips to say farewell to bugs, spiders, and rodents in your garage before they find their way indoors.
THE PESTS IN YOUR GARAGE
Pests love the indoors for the same reasons we do: food, shelter, water, and safety. And given these conditions, the garage is more than a suitable place to call home. Bugs such as flies, ants, silverfish, beetles, cockroaches, and clothes moths would all be happy to set up shop in your garage.
Less-than-pleasant weather can send birds, raccoons, and rodents looking for better digs, too, and spiders are fans of mostly undisturbed areas to spin their webs. Whatever the pest, you can be sure they’d love to be in your garage because you’ve got what they’re looking for.
HOW TO KEEP PESTS OUT OF THE GARAGE
Ready to get out and take on the bugs? Following a few simple steps can be the difference between a garage that gives you peace of mind and an outright pest infestation.
1. SAFELY STASH YOUR THINGS
When we hastily tuck items into the back of the garage until next season, we unwittingly encourage pests to make those piles of gear their new dwelling. Airtight boxes and bags are a pest-free garage’s best friend.
After stashing tools, gear, and toys in sealed containers, be sure to store them on shelves or pallets to restrict access to shelter-seeking pests. Items kept off the ground not only reduce their exposure to moisture, but they make it much harder for pests to gain access.
2. MAKE NECESSARY REPAIRS
Those pests got in somehow, and it isn’t always through an opened garage door. Check for cracks in the perimeter of the garage, sealing up any holes in the walls and foundation with silicone caulking. It might be time to replace any worn weather seals or stripping around doors and windows as well. After sealing, take care to leave the doors open only as long as necessary when in use so pests can’t just stroll casually inside.
3. DETER PESTS FROM ENTRY
The best defense is a good offense in both sports and pest control. Various deterrents work to inhibit, confuse, or even frighten pests away, and come in forms such as oils, powders, sprays, and liquid solutions. If you’re unsure which deterrent might work best for your garage, get in touch with a pest control professional to determine the best course of action.
4. SPRUCE UP THE PLACE
Most garages are in dire need of a good cleaning, and tidying up the place can make a huge difference in warding off pests. Sweep up any crumbs and wipe up any spills that might be attracting hungry bugs or rodents. Grab cleaning solutions to finish the job, as even the smell of lingering food can lure pests with the promise of a meal. If you do need to store food in the garage, always use airtight containers and keep the food on a shelf off the ground. Similarly, if you keep garbage containers inside the garage, use tight-fitting lids and elevate the receptacles if you can. Even a small bench or shelf can make a difference.
5. USE BAIT OR TRAPS
If preventative measures alone aren’t enough to keep your garage free from pests, pick up some bait and traps at your local home improvement store to catch and dispose of invading pests. It’s important to know what pests are harboring in the garage so you can direct your control efforts most effectively. Always follow label instructions and check/replace traps frequently.
And if you’d like help evicting unwanted pests from your garage, give our pest control professionals a call. Our team is trained to identify invading pests, design a personalized pest control plan, and get results. Don’t let another day go by while pests invade any part of your home, inside and out.
