With winter in full swing, you might experience an uninvited visitor in your garage from time to time. Many houses, especially those near fields and open areas of vegetation, are susceptible to mice invasion. This increases as mice are more apt to enter homes during the winter in search of warmth, food, and shelter – and your garage can be the perfect spot. So, if you’re wondering how to keep mice out of your garage, this article will explain.
Why Are Mice In My Garage?
Rodents such as mice and rats have long existed alongside humans, and this is because our homes offer great protection from weather and predators. When it gets freezing, small mammals like mice search for shelter in an attempt to warm their tiny bodies.
Unlike your home, your garage doesn’t have frequent activity, which makes it an ideal target. Mice like to nest and reside in areas with the least human activity, so they’re unlikely to be disturbed, especially if they’re raising pups. Plus, any gaps in the foundation of your home will let mice in.
Worse still, mice can feed on things that we tend to keep in our garages. Grass, fertilizer, or birdseed can all serve as food to a mouse.
Signs of Mice In Garage
Mice constantly feed at night to fuel their tiny bodies and maintain their body temperature, and they also tend to live in groups. As a result, if you don’t see mice in your garage, you might see clusters of droppings.
Mouse droppings are dark in color, brown or black, and shaped like rice grains. You might see piles of droppings in the corners of your garage. Similarly, you might see mice scurrying along walls, sticking to the edges and corners – you’re unlikely to see them running around in the middle of the garage.
Another thing to look out for is tears and openings in bags of edible items. Dog food, cat food, or birdseed are all things that a mouse can eat, and they can nibble and tear through any bags that come in between them and the food.
How To Keep Mice Out Of Garage
So, what can you do to keep mice out of the garage?
Essentially, you need to remove any factors that make the garage a safe place for them. Making it unlikely for mice to get in will help significantly, as will removing food and hiding places.
- Remove and reduce clutter to remove possible hiding places, especially along walls and corners.
- Keep cat food, dog food, or birdseed in sealed plastic bins or containers, as mice can easily tear through bags.
- Avoid keeping trash bins in the garage, and make sure they’re closed tightly to prevent mice from getting in and smells from getting out.
- Check for entry points in the walls, especially near conduits for pipes or cables. Seal or caulk them off completely. No gap is too small; mice can squeeze through a hole as small as a dime!
- Examine your garage door to make sure it closes and seals completely. Have a professional come out for an inspection.
Conclusion
Making the garage unattractive to mice will go a long way in keeping mice out of it. Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they’re not there, as mice are great at hiding and staying away from potential threats and predators. And if you have trouble sealing your garage door against mice, call a licensed professional for help.
Garage Door Doctor is your family-owned and operated repair company in Houston, Texas. We’ve been in business since 1987 and provide same-day service, too! Get in touch to get expert, reliable residential service for all types of garage doors. Call us at (281) 855-9300 or (281) 578-7659 for fast, affordable service or if you have any questions.
