How to Keep Mice and Other Animals Out of Your Garage

Even if you’re an animal lover, the mice that live in your garage aren’t necessarily your friends. Keep in mind that cute little rodents can cause serious damage. Mice can chew through a lot of different materials, from wood to plastic, and even the electric wires of your garage door opener. This can end up being a big issue.

Depending on where they can hide and what food they can get, these animals tend to reproduce fairly quickly. Mice go through an 18-to-21-day gestation period. Three to 14 pups can be born to a mouse in a single litter. At the age of 6 weeks, those babies are mature. More than 5,000 mice could have multiplied from the first two in a year. It is not wise to ignore a mouse infestation.

There is often a cost associated with hiring an exterminator. The goal is to try every possible solution before getting to that point. Understandable. In order to avoid harming mice and other small animals, we listed our best solutions for pest-proofing your garage.

The importance of insulating and organizing your home cannot be overstated. The two points will be further discussed.

What to Do If Mice Already Live Your Garage

Is your garage infested with mice? To make the place mice-proof, you must first remove the mice.

Maybe you have a dog or cat who enjoys roaming the garage, so poison and traps are not an option.

Would you prefer not to harm your tiny guests if you are an animal lover?

During summer, mice often move outside, especially if they are deprived of all sources of food and are around humans a lot. To encourage them to return to nature, we have found you some pet-friendly options.

For a single mouse, you might be able to catch it with a humane mouse trap. No harm will come to the mouse from this type of trap. Wait until the mouse is safely trapped inside by putting peanut butter at one end. We recommend you release it at least a mile away from your home so it doesn’t make its way back.

Despite what you might think, mice can invade anywhere.

When you have a cat in your garage, letting it out periodically is a great way to get rid of mice and practice kitty's hunting skills.

By playing with their senses, you can keep mice away from the important things in your garage if you know a few mice already live there. The sense of smell in mice is very keen. Because of this, there are some smells they cannot stand, such as white vinegar, peppermint, and others.

Place cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil abundantly around the garage, in places where mice might hide.

Don't use this as your only solution, it isn't permanent. Eventually, the mice will return. You must prevent mice from re-entering your garage after getting rid them. The room needs to be pest proofed.

Keep Mice Away by Creating a Hostile Environment

Create a hostile environment for mice and other small animals to prevent them from returning. In order to do this, you need to cut off their food supply and organize the garage.

• Keep things organized and reduce clutter

  They can hide in the debris and objects that accumulate.

• Any other food source such as birdseed or dog food should be kept in sealed containers.

  There must be a constant supply of food for mice. From trash to grass seeds, anything can become food for them, so you'd better keep everything sealed in a container.

• Garages shouldn't be filled with trash

  Garbage attracts pests such as mice into your garage. Ensure the trash is taken outside and not left near the door.

• Store firewood outdoors if possible.

  It is a favorite nesting site for mice and other small animals.

• Make sure the floors are swept regularly.

  This will also enable you to check the walls for cracks and crevices that may allow them to invade. Ensure that the garage ceilings and walls are in good condition.

The Best Offense is a Good Defense

After you have removed the previous mice and removed all of the mice's food sources, now is the time to add insulation to the garage.

Make sure the roof is not touched by branches.

By doing this, rodents will not jump onto your roof. Because squirrels can jump up to nine feet horizontally, keep the branches as far from the roof as possible.

To prevent rodents from making nests in your walls, you should insulate them.

Walls should be insulated

You can prevent mice and other small animals from nesting in your walls by insulating them, whether with mineral wool or foam.

Using polyurethane spray foam will insulate your walls. If your walls are completely filled, mice will not be able to make their nests in them. Also, polyurethane foam has unique characteristics compared to traditional spray foam.

Spray foam is not rigid. If they wanted to, the rodents could get through it. These insulators contain no food sources for mice; therefore, they are not inclined to gnaw on them. However, they might try to use it to build nests.

Sweets are a favorite food of mice. Foam made from polyurethane has a bitter taste to it. The animals will stop gnawing on the material if they taste a bad taste in their mouth. Rodent repellent can also be found in some types of polyurethane foam.

Fill the Cracks

Small animals, such as mice, cannot chew steel or aluminum. But, if given enough time and determination, they can chew through wood, plastic, and other surfaces. Because of this, it is important to check the condition of the walls and floors as often as possible.

You can cover small holes with spray foam. Just ensure that the entire hole is covered completely.

It’s important to know that it’s not so much the stiffness of the insulation that prevents rodents (mice are known to chew on wires and strong insulators for instance). In order to ensure that the mouse cannot make its nest, you should seek insulation that will fill in all holes and leave few gaps for nests.

You may need to replace your garage door if it has holes or is no longer level with the ground.

What type of garage door is best for preventing rodents?

It can be hard to decide whether to change your garage door. There are many details to consider when choosing a garage door, such as the use you want, the style that suits your home, and much more. In this specific case, you will need a door that can withstand rodent invasions.

Garage doors made of wood should not be used because squirrels and mice will quickly pass through. Your purchase should be a metal or aluminum door.

Even better if you can choose a door that is well insulated, the door will become impenetrable to rodents.

Mice can't chew through galvanized steel, so we protect our doors with this material. We also offer a rodent-proof door if you are still concerned, they might find a way through and start a nest.

Our R-16 and R-12 construction garage door models, Standard+, Townships Collection and Acadia 138, are made with polyurethane foam injected at high pressure into the metal structure. Mice won't be able to nest in the door thanks to this special insulator.

The polyurethane foam we used to insulate our R-16 door can be seen here.

Each door comes with weatherstripping and is tailored to fit your garage. The garage will remain comfortable at a constant temperature thanks to these airtight doors. You won't have to worry about mice getting in through uneven doors anymore!

If you have a rodent problem, it’s time to change your garage door.

If you have rodents getting into your garage, you should consider upgrading to a new garage door. Here at Island Overhead Doors, we are happy to help you find the perfect rodent-proof garage door for your home. You can contact us at 902-439-7907 or via our website.

We offer high-quality garage doors that will meet your needs, whether in their quality or their style. You can even create a unique model that’s perfectly tailored to you and your home.

You can also ask for a free quotation to be received by email.