Summertime is here, and with it comes critters and pests looking to invade your home through the garage. Whether you’re dealing with spiders, bugs, mice, or other unwelcome guests, proper garage pest control tips are essential to enjoying a peaceful summer season. Luckily, there are several ways to keep pests at bay and defend against an infestation—all without having to resort to chemical treatments or expensive solutions.
Common Garage Bugs
To best protect your garage against unwanted visitors, you’ll need to know what you’re up against! Keep an eye out for common garage insect invaders like Silverfish, Sowbugs, Ground Beetles, Flies, Camel Crickets, Ants, and Pill Bugs. These small bugs can gain access into your garage and quickly take over—especially the SilverFish, a silver-colored, long, wingless insect, known for eating materials like fabric, glue, and even food. Not only do they eat everything, but they are capable of laying dozens of eggs per day! If you notice the Silverfish, or one of the other bugs on this list, set traps quickly and take the steps below to ensure they don’t return.
How To Keep Bugs Out of the Garage
One of the most important things you can do when learning how to keep pests out of the garage is to keep your space clean and dry. This means regularly sweeping, removing garbage, and checking for leaks. Dirty, wet environments are great for unwanted pests, so this step alone goes a long way. Additionally, it is best never to store trash in the garage—as this practically invites pests into your home. Keep your bin outdoors, if possible!
Maintaining a clean, dry garage is a great start to ensuring that pests do not infiltrate your beloved space. However, you’ll want to take things a step further by inspecting the area for potential entrance points and sealing them off. Are there any cracks in the cement around the walls, foundation, or windows? If so, these are great entrance points for unwanted pests. Fill them with caulking and check on them seasonally to ensure they remain sealed. Also, take a moment to inspect the weather stripping around the garage door. Are there gaps? Is the garage door weather stripping worn out? If so, use this tutorial to learn how to replace garage door weather stripping and seal the gaps to keep bugs and unwanted moisture out.
How To Keep Mice Out of Garage
Keeping food out of the garage goes a long way to prevent issues with bugs and mice—and yes, that includes pet food! While it is best to store all of the above indoors if you must extend outside, ensure that all food is kept in airtight containers. Rodents also love nesting and often utilize things like clothing and cardboard for this purpose. Remove such items from your garage.
Recently electronic noise transmitters have emerged as a popular and effective solution to keep mice out of the garage and home. By emitting a high-frequency sound that is undetectable by humans but irritating to mice, these devices can help keep rodents at bay without the use of harmful chemicals or violent traps. Your garage (and peace of mind) will thank you!
Keep Your Garage Pest-Free
Bugs and pests are a natural part of life every summer, but with the tips and tricks above, you can keep them out of your garage with no problem. As with anything related to garage maintenance, a little bit of prevention now could very well save you time, money, and headaches in the future!
