You probably don’t want to be reading this, but if you haven’t prepared your garage for the winter ahead, then you might find out about it the hard way. As well as keeping on top of your yard, your basement, your attic and all of the rooms actually inside your house, you need to make sure that pests don’t have easy access to your garage too. When the first frost appears, pests won’t hesitate to make your garage their new winter home.
In today’s article, we’re going to look at how to keep pests out of your garage in the winter. We’ll look at what attracts them there in the first place and how you can prevent them from getting inside. Sometimes, no matter what you do it seems like pests can find a way to thwart you. When that happens, Truly Nolen are there for all of your residential pest control needs.
Why is Your Garage Vulnerable?
Traditionally, our garages are purpose-built to protect our cars and other vehicles. For many of us, that design intent doesn’t become reality. Many of us are guilty of storing tools, furniture and other essential items in our garage. Over time, some people might find that they have stashes of things including equipment, stocks and even food supplies piling up in their garage. This is all perfect for pests that want to find somewhere warm and protected to hide during winter. If you also give them access to a food source, then they couldn’t ask for more.
Your garage, normally isolated from the rest of your home, doesn’t always get the same amount of attention as other parts of your home. It certainly isn’t cleaned as regularly as other rooms. That being the case, it becomes a perfect and warm shelter for pests that can’t survive winters outdoors.
The most common pests that will make their way into your garage are rodents. Rats and mice are incredibly smart animals and they’ll take advantage of every opportunity to get indoors and build nests. Insects such as ants and spiders will also benefit from the protection. Flies, cockroaches, ground beetles and stink bugs are less common pests to find inside but they too will be grateful for the warmth and shelter.
How to Prepare Your Garage for Winter
To prevent a pest infestation in your garage, there are a few things you’ll need to do in preparation for winter. The most obvious thing is to seal any cracks and crevices found around your garage. This applies to the floor, the walls and the roof (if applicable).
Make sure that your garage is organized and that there’s no clutter. Keep everything stacked in an orderly fashion and don’t create any obvious hiding places for pests. If you have piles of wood and papers be extra careful – this is a common nest for cockroaches and rodents.
If you need to re-pack and store certain items in a different way, then do so. Waste should not be stored inside your garage and if you store food there, make sure that it’s effectively sealed. If your recycling is stored in your garage, then do not let cardboard sit for days on end and make sure that you regularly clean and organize the area. Throw away anything you don’t need, avoid clutter and make sure that any leaks and faulty water pipes are fixed as well.
Truly Nolen Can Help With Your Garage Too
Sometimes, pests will find their way into your garage no matter what you do. When they do, give Truly Nolen a call. We’re the residential pest control experts and we’ll remove your infestation before it gets out of hand.