Keep Mice, Squirrels, and Other Creatures Out of the Garage

No matter how much you might love animals, you also need to make sure they aren’t causing damage to your garage and all the items you store there. Mice might be adorable to many people, but there is no denying the problems they can cause. Imagine what would happen if they built a nest in your Christmas ornaments? You would have an unwelcome surprise come early December. What if they were to chew through your garage door opener?

They might look adorable, but mice can do a lot of damage in a house.

If you think that you have just one or two mice right now, you need to act fast. Mice reproduce quickly, and they have a gestation period of just 19 to 21 days. They can give birth to up to 14 babies each time, and those babies mature in less than two months. Given a few months in your garage, they could multiply into thousands of mice.

Your first thought might be to hire an exterminator. While this can work, it also happens to be expensive. Fortunately, there are some other things you can do to help rid your garage of mice. Below, you will find some simple and workable solutions to remove the mice and keep your space safe from pests.

Make sure that you remember the importance of organization and insulation. We’ll cover these more later.

What If Mice Already Feel at Home?

Do you already have a mouse problem? If you do, you need to get those mice to move out before you can pest-proof your garage.

You can’t simply use deadly traps or poison. You might have dogs or cats that could get into them and become injured. You might also have kids. Perhaps you just love animals, and you would rather find a better way to get rid of the mice.

Keep in mind that when the summer hits, it will often be easier to get the mice out of the garage. They aren’t as keen on leaving the garage during the colder months, so it can be more difficult. However, when you cut off their food source, it should help to make them look elsewhere for shelter no matter the time of year.

In cases where there is likely just one or two mice, you could try to use a humane mouse trap. These types of traps won’t hurt the animal. You can set up one or more of these traps to get the mice and then release them from your home. Make sure you are at least a mile away before releasing them or they will come back.

Mice can infiltrate anywhere, even places you don't expect them to.

Mice are masters at getting into just about anywhere.

Another option, if you don’t mind letting nature take its course, is to let a cat into the garage if you have one. The cat can hunt, and even if they aren’t successful, it could let the mice or other pests know that it’s no longer safe.

When you know that you have several mice in the garage, there are other methods you can use. For example, you can assault their sense of smell. There are certain scents they dislike, including white vinegar, peppermint, and others.

Simply take some cotton balls and soak them in peppermint oil. Scatter them around the garage in areas where the mice might hide. They will likely get out of the garage after that.

However, they won’t stay gone for long. Once the scent fades, they will be back. Therefore, you need to act when they are out of the garage. It’s time you pest-proof your garage.

Make the Garage an Unfriendly Location for Pests

You want to create a location where the mice or other pests don’t want to be. There are a few simple things you can do that will make this easier.

No More Clutter

Reduce the amount of junk and items that you have in the garage that gives mice a place to hide. Put belongings into plastic containers rather than cardboard.

No More Food

Take away all the food sources, such as your pet food and birdseed. Put it into plastic containers, which the mice can’t get through.

No More Trash

If you are keeping your trash in the garage rather than outside, stop. Mice will go through your trash and eat just about anything.

No More Firewood

Are you keeping firewood in the garage? This gives the mice a place to hide and nest. Move it somewhere else if you can.

Keep It Clean

Take the time to sweep the garage at least once a week. When you sweep, check the walls and floor for crevices where the mice might be getting into the garage. Check the outside of the garage, as well. You will need to take care of those holes.

Take Preventative Measures

When you get rid of the mice in the garage, organize, and remove food, it’s time to protect the garage from further intrusion.

Cut Overhanging Branches

When you cut branches above the garage roof, it can prevent squirrels from trying to find their way into your garage. Otherwise, they might jump to the roof. After all, they can jump up to nine feet horizontally.

Someone isolating a wall with mineral wool.

It is important to insulate your walls to prevent rodents from having a place to make their nests in.

Proper Insulation

Insulation does more than just keep energy bills down. It will also help you to keep out pests. When you use mineral wool or foam in your walls, it will stop pests from nesting.

Using polyurethane spray foam is our recommendation. When you use this in your wall and fill them, it will stop mice from making nests. However, you need to fill the walls completely.

This is not a rigid insulator, and the mice could chew into it if they tried. However, because it is bitter and not a food source, it is less likely. They might try to use it to build a nest, but if you’ve gotten rid of other food sources, they are more likely to ignore your garage.

Take Care of Cracks and Holes

When you are fixing holes, it’s often a good idea to use a material that the rodents can’t chew through, such as aluminum or steel. You might also want to use spray foam to fill small holes. This can dissuade the mice and other pests from trying to get into the garage. Make sure that you cover the entire hole no matter what method you use.

You should consider your garage door, too. If it’s not level, there could be gaps that are large enough to allow mice and other critters to slip through.

Get a Quality Garage Door

You have quite a few things to consider when getting a new garage door. You want something that will help to prevent pests from getting inside, but you also want to have something that looks nice on your home.

Keep in mind that you should avoid wooden garage doors. If a rodent is determined, it will get through those types of doors.

You should also choose a garage door that has good insulation. This will ensure mice don’t try to nest in the door.

The doors we offer are made from galvanized steel, so you don’t have to worry about mice chewing their way into the garage. We also have insulated doors, so the mice won’t nest in the door.

Check out our R-16 and R-12 models: Standard+, Townships Collection, and Acadia 138. These are made with polyurethane foam injected at high pressure.

A Standard+ door isolated with polyurethane foam.

This is our insulated R-16 door with polyurethane foam.

These doors are made for garages like yours and they come with weatherstripping. You won’t have to worry about airflow or uneven doors that let pests into the garage.

Consider Making a Change to Your Garage Door Today!

Does the gap under your garage door let in all manner of pests? It’s time to get a new, better garage door, and the specialists at Bouma Bros. Sales and Service Inc. can help you find exactly what you need. Feel free to give us a call at 616-452-4704 or learn more about your options on our website.

Our garage doors are high-quality, beautiful, and can meet your needs when it comes to durability, their style, and more. It’s even possible to create a unique model if you want.

We can offer you a free quotation through email if you would like. Get in touch soon.

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