If you’re like many homeowners, your garage is probably the main entryway to your house. But if the garage is your main way into the house, you have to consider that it might also be the way that pests, like roaches or mice, might also make their way into the house. You don’t want pests in your garage regardless – after all, you store important items in there – and you definitely don’t want insects and rodents only a small step away from joining you in the main part of the house. Take a look at some tips that can help you keep pests out of your garage and farther away from entry to your home.
Improve Your Garage Organization
The more places there are for pests to hide, the more likely it is that there will be pests hiding in those places. Rodents and bugs love cluttered dark spaces where they can hide undetected. If you have a cluttered, disorganized garage, you’re more likely to have pests.
Luckily, this is a relatively easy fix. Invest in shelving, cabinets, hooks, and baskets that allow you to get items up off of the floor. Store decorations, old clothes, and other miscellaneous items in hard plastic totes with tight lids instead of cardboard boxes – pests will find it much more difficult to chew through plastic and set up nests in your storage boxes. Look into installing ceiling storage racks in your garage. The more clutter you can clean up and the more things you can move off the floor, the more likely your garage will remain pest-free.
Replace Your Weatherstripping
How do pests get into your garage in the first place? The most likely route is the same one you take – through the garage door. However, that doesn’t mean that they’re walking in with you. More likely, they’re coming in through gaps in the door at night or when you’re not looking. The best way to seal these gaps is with weatherstripping.
The weatherstripping on your garage door not only keeps out pests, it also prevents wind and rain from coming through the door. However, rodents can chew through the vinyl or rubber strips. Over time, the weatherstripping also dries out and gets brittle, which means it could break off on its own and allow pests through. Check the weatherstripping on your door for holes or for signs that the weatherstripping is brittle and old and needs to be replaced.
Practice Preventative Pest Control Outside of Your Garage
If you can establish a perimeter around your home that is basically pest-free, you’re much less likely to see pests anywhere in your house. Including your garage. It’s easier than you think to create a pest buffer zone around your home’s exterior.
Start by removing anything that’s leaning against your home. For example, if you store firewood, don’t pile it up right against the house, move it a few feet away. Move plants away from the exterior walls. Trim tree branches back so that they don’t brush against the house. These steps will remove a lot of the bridges that allow pests to travel into the home. You may also want to have an exterminator treat your yard if you’re seeing a lot of pests.
Pest-proofing your garage protects the valuable items that you store in the garage and helps keep the rest of the house bug and rodent-free. For more great garage tips and ideas, contact us and schedule your free design consultation. 
