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Mice are common in both residential and urban areas. In the suburbs, they tend to gather in garages before moving into more interior spaces. In fact, garages offer ideal conditions for pests of all kinds. But there are several steps you can take to keep mice from meddling on your property.
How to Keep Mice Out of Garages
If you’ve ever wondered how to keep mice out of garages, you’re not alone; this question is often on the mind of Average Joe Homeowner. For residents of New Jersey, mouse problems are even more bothersome. Due to the area’s dense development, changing climates, older buildings and homes, and a mix of urbania and surbania, mice practically have a garden party in the Garden State.
So, how do you rain on their parade?
Knowing how to keep mice out of garages is similar to knowing how to keep them out of anywhere else in your home, but it requires an elevated effort. This is because garages are often neglected areas of the home; you might not care if they’re clean and tidy, you might not address gaps and cracks, and you might store attractants without even realizing what you’re luring.
Why Mice Favor Garages
Mice are found in nearly every place in the home, from the basement to the attic and everywhere in between. But while they’re well-traveled pests, they favor certain areas more than others. In fact, many homeowners wonder how to keep mice out of garages for an obvious reason: this is where they’re often first spotted.
So, what exactly about your garage makes it an ideal mouse home? Access, for one thing: the garage is located in property purgatory, not quite indoors and not quite out. It offers direct exterior-to-interior access for mice and other pests. They can run in when the door is open or wiggle through one of the gaps in the walls.
In addition to shelter and warmth, garages also provide food, especially if you store pet kibble, birdseed, or garbage inside them. Even if you don’t, the average garage is full of crumbs, debris, and spills; most homeowners are more lax about cleaning up messes in the garage than they are in their kitchen or living room (which your friendly neighborhood mouse appreciates!).
Garages are messier than other rooms, too; they’re full of storage, tools, boxes, sports and recreation equipment, donation piles, and “I don’t want this in the family room, so I’ll throw it in the garage” items. This clutter gives mice somewhere to hide, somewhere to take cover from predators, and somewhere to enjoy peace and quiet. Fabrics, papers, cardboard, and papers found in garages also provide mice with plenty of nesting materials.
While some homeowners adopt a live-and-let-live mantra in regard to mice that haven’t yet infiltrated living areas, this is akin to playing with pest fire. In other words, mice in garages don’t stay in garages; eventually, they venture indoors, searching for more food and warmer (or cooler) temperatures.
How to Mouse-Proof Your Garage.
The first step to protecting your garage is closing off the entryways. Many garages have gaps and cracks around their foundation or near areas where cables and cords are threaded from the outside into the inside. Caulking these, sealing them off, or blocking them with boards closes off access and makes it hard for mice to infiltrate. If you do have to leave a gap (for a cord or wire), make it as small and narrow as possible; mice only need a space the size of a dime to successfully gain access.
Keeping your garage closed is another way to prevent entry. While it’s unlikely that hordes of mice will rush in every time you leave for work, open garages provide very easy access, not only for mice, but also for more startling visitors (such as raccoons, squirrels, and even bears!). When the garage door closes, ensure a tight seal; if you can see light coming through, add weatherstripping to close off the space.
Finally, don’t turn your garage into an all-mice-can-eat-buffet. Mice are opportunistic omnivores, which means they’re not that picky about what they’ll feed on. They’ll eat all sorts of human food (crumbs, debris, spills), as well as pet kibble, birdseed, and grass seed. They love garbage cans as well; with all the odors and variety, it’s their version of a Michelin restaurant.
Signs You Have Mice Living in Your Space
Homeowners don’t only benefit from knowing how to keep mice out of garages; you also benefit from knowing how to spot infestations . . . giving you a chance to address a minor mouse mishap before it turns into a major pest problem.
So, how do you know rodents are determined to ruin your vibe?
The most obvious sign of an infestation is seeing mice, especially if you see them frequently or in groups. Spotting more than one mouse is an indication as well, although mice aren’t easy to tell apart unless they have distinguishing features. Even so, mice are more active at night, which means it’s not always easy to eye them. If you’re curious, set up a security camera with a “pet” tracking feature; when mice run in front of the camera, it should trigger video proof.
Bite marks in boxes, fabrics, plastics, food containers, and wood are other signs of an infestation, as are droppings; these are typically located close to walls where mice travel, although they’re also found in storage boxes and anywhere else mice may nest.
You might also hear or smell mice, too, particularly if infestations are big. Mice don’t frequently squeak (at least not at a frequency easy for humans to perceive), but they do scratch, scurry, and rustle through papers, clothes, and trash. Odorwise, infestations might smell musty, stale, or urine-like; if mice have died inside your walls, you will probably smell the odor of decay, mostly in the first few weeks.
We Keep Menacing Mice Away
At Kapture, we’re well-versed in mouse infestations, both big and small. Whether you have rodents in your garage, your walls, or your halls, we can help.
We carefully assess entry points and attractants, treat infestations with family- and pet-safe solutions, and offer preventative maintenance to keep furry fiends from coming back. Contact us today to learn more about our methods, customized plans, and double-money-back guarantee.
