Garages are useful and practical areas of a home to store vehicles, clothes, family heirlooms, lawn and garden equipment. But they can also become pest motels for roaches, rats, and bugs if you aren’t careful. In the summer, pests are attracted to your garage as a refuge from the hot California heat and perhaps as a water resource. In the winter, pests are drawn to the garage to get out of the intense rain storms we get here in Elk Grove, California.
Finding critters in the garage can be unsettling, but there are ways to remove them and prevent them from getting in your garage again.
Common Garage Pests
Mosts pests seek shelter in a garage as a source of food or water, or to get out of the elements. Common garage pests include mice, rats, crickets, silverfish, spiders, cockroaches, ants, moths and birds.
Already Have Pests?
If you already have pests in your garage, the safest bet is to call a pest control company to remove them. If you suspect pests, look for signs of infestation — torn up boxes or newspapers from mice, rat droppings, bird nests, the sounds of crickets.
Clean Your Garage
One of the easiest ways to protect your garage from pests is to have a clean garage. Clean up any trash, spills, and clutter. Remove cobwebs. Remove debris. Replace any boxes with secure plastic tubs. Store clothes in sealed tubs. Remove moisture with a shop vac.
Inspect Your Garage Door
Take a close look at your garage door and inspect its condition. Is it missing any panels? Are there gaps between it and the floor? Is the garage door itself infested with insects? If you have an old and dilapidated garage door, it may be time to consider new garage door installation.
Check Your Garage Door Bottom Seal
Inspect the garage door bottom seal — the weatherstripping under your garage door. It’s designed to keep out dirt and debris, but it can also protect your garage from critters. Over time, it can crack and fall apart and will need replacing. Fortunately, replacing a garage door bottom seal is a fairly easy DIY garage door repair you can do in a few hours on a Saturday afternoon.