Pest problems, including mice, rats, raccoons, and even birds, can wreak havoc on your garage door and all it protects. Once they’ve made their way inside, you may discover holes chewed in your storage bins, unsanitary droppings, hair, and allergens, all spread about and hidden in the small corners of your space. If vermin can get into your garage, they are much more likely to make their way into your home, causing further damage to your property.
Sealing Your Garage Door
What’s the best way to keep them out? Sealing your garage door is an excellent option. The rubber threshold at the bottom of most garage doors wears out after a period of time and does not seal tightly enough to prevent invasion by pests. These thresholds should be replaced every 2-3 years to ensure that they remain useful.
Another issue that arises involves the rubber gaskets on either side of the door, which can also deteriorate old over time. Mice can easily chew through the gasket and create a hole big enough to crawl through. While wood, plastic, and rubber are easy for these little pests to chew through, metal is an excellent deterrent. Installing metal flashing at the bottom and on the sides of wooden garage doors is another excellent way to prevent vermin from entering your space. If holes already exist in your gaskets, stuffing them with steel wool and/or copper mesh can help keep pests at bay.
Pest-Proof the Inside
Pest-proofing your garage is just as reliant on keeping pests out of your space as preventing them from taking root in your space. If mice or rats do gain access to your garage, consider the following methods to make the space less hospitable for them:
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Avoid storing pet food or birdseed in your garage. If you do, place it on a shelf instead of on the ground, and be sure to place the original bag in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Also, do not leave your pet’s food out for them to find in the garage. Feed your pets elsewhere and empty the food after a reasonable period of time.
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Place the cat litter box inside your home, not in your garage. Clean it frequently. Mice often feed on cat feces.
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Don’t leave your garage door open for long periods of time.
Interested in learning more ways to pest-proof your garage, or want help with the process? Contact our expert team at Ponderosa Garage Doors today!