With spring right around the corner, we can all be sure of one thing, the pest and rodents that were hiding out all winter, are going to be out and about soon. According to the American Housing Survey, nearly 80,000 Americans have a garage. Many homeowners don’t even think about this space when it comes to unwanted critters; however, for many people, their garage is an extension of their home and where they house important things, including their vehicles. We are going to review how to keep pests and rodents out of your garage, because if they make their way into this space, they can destroy your belongings, damage the structural integrity, and can even get into your vehicle or your main living space.
What Pests and Rodents are Most Common to Find a Way into Your Garage?
For most people, their garage is an extension of their home and where they house things like tools, pet food, outdoor furniture, toys, decorations, bikes, vehicles, and more. If you don’t keep pests and rodents out of your garage and they find their way inside, they put everything in the space at risk, including the structure of the building (freestanding or connected to your home).
What pests and rodents are most common to be found in Ohio and Michigan garages? Let’s review.
- Mice: One of the most abundant garage visitors are mice. A mouse, plural mice, is a small rodent. Mice in Ohio and Michigan are known to eat your food, your pet food, through structures, damage your vehicle, and spread disease. Mice, like other pests and rodents, make their way inside cars, homes, businesses, and other structures, seeking food, water, and shelter. If one finds your space as a good place to live, it is highly likely that they are not alone. Mice multiply fast and a small infestation can become a large one in a matter of days.
- Spiders: We are no strangers to spiders in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. There are more than 45,000 known species of spiders, found in habitats all over the world. Spiders eat and hunt by building webs and catching their prey (smaller bugs). While spiders may not eat your food or cause damage to your garage, other than a few spider webs, you still shouldn’t want them in your space because they could be poisonous and cause harm to you and your family.
- Termites: Just about anywhere where you have wood around your property, you are at risk of these critters. Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Reticulitermes flavipes, the eastern subterranean termite, is the most common termite found in North America. Subterranean termites build distinctive tunnels, often referred to as “mud tubes,” to reach food sources and protect themselves from open air. They eat wood 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Over time, subterranean termites can critically damage a building structure, sometimes causing a total collapse.
- Cockroaches: Another pest that is commonly found in Ohio and Michigan garages are cockroaches. Unfortunately, our Ohio and Michigan homes and garages provide the ideal conditions for cockroaches to thrive. Cockroaches have minimal needs: food, warmth, moisture, and shelter. Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan garages have all of those things, from garages storing food or pet food, to lots of cracks and crevices in which cockroaches can hide and lay their eggs. Cockroaches carry diseases, give off unpleasant odors, aggravate allergies, ruin food, and are just overall unwanted pests.
How to Keep Pests and Rodents Out of Your Garage
Your garage is susceptible to becoming a home for many different pests and rodents, not just the ones that we reviewed above, but there are some things you can do to try and keep them out.
- Keep your garage door closed unless you are actually in the garage.
- Store grass seed, pet food, bird seed, garden seeds, and other food sources in sealed containers/bins.
- Keep clutter to a minimum and try to keep as many items off the ground as possible.
- Seal cracks and gaps around your garage to prevent openings for these critters to enter.
- Cut back tree branches, tall grass, and other greenery that could provide an entry point.
- Stow trashcans and garbage outdoors, sealed tightly.
- Store firewood outdoors and away from the structure.
- Hire a local pest control company for ongoing pest and rodent control.
When it comes to your home, every area of it should be free and clear of pests and rodents, and that includes your garage. Delving Pest Control can help.
To help prevent pests or rodents in or around your home or place of business, Delving Pest Control offers ongoing treatment programs. Each plan is tailored to specific needs that can be bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly. We are your Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan discreet pest control solution. Contact us today.
