Garage Cleaning to Prevent Pest Infestation

The garage is a clutter magnet. Its true purpose is for parking the family car. However, it almost always ends up doubling as a storage area for the family’s bikes, old toys, old clothes, and other knickknacks.

What is a good sign that your garage needs a spring cleaning? If your family car is always outside it means the garage has accumulated so much clutter that there is no space for the family car anymore.

A good cleaning is in order to tidy the place and get rid of any pest that may have taken residence there.

Common Pests Found in the Garage

The clutter in the garage provides the perfect shelters for various pests. Unlike most parts of the house, the garage is left often for long periods of time, allowing pests to gain access inside. Here are some of the pests that find the garage an ideal place to hide and build a home.

Crickets love garages. They enter either by crawling under doors or by being brought by infested items like cardboard boxes. Inside, they will look for food sources, which consist of papers, glue, clothing and food such as flour, meat, and even their fellow silverfish.

Mice will seek shelter in garages during the winter months. They will build their nests in storage boxes and wall voids. Mice are even known to see warmth in cars, which present many chewable items such as wires and food crumbs.

Spiders feed on smaller insects, so they will typically gravitate to the areas of the house, like the garage, where insects can be found. Once insider, spiders will start spinning webs, which they use to trap their prey. Spiders are both good and bad. They keep the pest population down but at the same time they can make an area look messy and unhygienic.

Though, no one spends a lot of time in the garage, a pest infestation in this room can still spell trouble. Pests like silverfish and mice can cause damage on item such as wires, cables, clothing, documents, etc. Mice can spread diseases through their droppings or urine. So, don’t neglect your garage as

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Why are pests attracted to the garage?

For pests, the garage’s accessibility to other parts of the house is what make its special. The constant flow of cars and people allow pests to get inside easily. After successfully getting in, pests like silverfish and mice will build a home in storage boxes and wall voids. The clutter also allows them to hide easily when people are afoot.

How do you keep pests out of the garage?

The garage is one of the most common places where pest infestation occurs. No one wants bugs and critters in their garage. Here are simple and effective ways to prevent pests from accessing your garage.

Seal the cracks and crevices. It is rare for garage doors to fit perfectly. This offers pests an opportunity to get inside the garage. One of these openings is the bottom of the garages. People often overlook it, but even the smallest crack will allow pests to get inside. Use weatherstripping or rubber seals to fix this problem. Caulk can be used to fill in any cracks or halls in the walls of the garage.

Spray bottom baseboards. Use a safe and effective insecticide to spray the bottom baseboards on the inside and outside, to kill any pests that come in contact with it. However, use insecticides properly, safely if you have children and pests.

Reduce the clutter. The garage can become a catchall for anything that doesn’t have a place in the home, hence the clutter. A good portion of the clutter can be eliminated by disposing of the things that haven’t been taken out for a long time. Old boards and firewood should also be thrown away to discourage termites.

Keep the garage doors closed. An open garage is how pests get insider, particularly bigger ones like rodents.

Man fixing the garage doors

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Keep trash properly contained. The trash receptacle in the garage must be tightly sealed. If possible, use a metal garbage can that locks shot because mice and rats are able to chew through plastic.

Use plastic containers. It is fine to store your pet foods in the garage, but make sure to keep them in sealable, durable plastic containers. Like trash, pet foods attract insects. They might be able to see through the plastic, but they will not be able to sniff it out or get access to it.

Throw away the cardboard boxes. Termites are a constant threat in sub-tropical, humid regions like South East Queensland. Wood and cardboard boxes in the garages will attract termites. Replace cardboard boxes with plastic containers to discourage pests from taking shelter in the garage.

What to do if pests have infiltrated your garage?

If pests like rodents or other creepy crawlies successfully made their home in your garage, call your residential pest control company. They can create a custom pest control treatment plan that will effectively eliminate the pests and keep them out permanently.

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