How to Keep Mice Out of Your Garage

Posted on May 19th, 2023

A Few Ways to Rid Your Garage of These Unwanted Intruders

In whatever ways you’re using your garage – for storage, rock band rehearsal, or actually parking your vehicles there – the last thing you want is sharing this space with mice.

Whether we like it or not, mice have become accustomed to living next to humans, and they may invade any human habitat. That said, they really prefer structures like sheds and garages, places where human contact is less likely and they can be left alone to build their nests and breed.

When it comes to breeding, a young female can produce a litter of pups when she’s only six weeks old, and typically, females will deliver about 56 pups a year.

In terms of damage, if you have mice in your garage, they will chew on just about anything that can be used to build their nests. This includes wood, paper, cloth, and books, among others. They’ll also chew the insulation around wiring, creating the potential for fires. And they’ll sometimes build nests inside large appliances, causing them to short circuit and malfunction, again creating a fire hazard.

Finally, their droppings and urine are possible sources of disease!

Signs You Have Mice in the Garage

The most obvious sign of a mouse invasion is the droppings they leave behind. Mice eat constantly at night, and their droppings will be brown or black and shaped like a grain of rice. And piles of these droppings are common as mice live in large groups.

Also, if you have bags of things like bird seed or dog food, look for signs they’ve been gnawed into. Once into these food sources, they’ll likely leave seeds and food scattered around as mice are messy eaters.

How to Keep Mice Out of Your Garage Naturally

All things considered, small though they may be, you don’t want a mouse infestation in your garage, nor do you want them to enter your home, and here are a few ways to deter mice and get rid of mice naturally.

• Keep seeds and pet foods in tightly closed plastic or metal bins and containers.
• Clean up the clutter that might be used as nesting material or places to build nests.
• Seal any cracks or entry points leading into the garage. For example, if you have a gap between your garage door and the garage wall, close it with steel wool, as mice will not try to chew through that.
• Place trash cans outside and leave them tightly sealed.
• Cut back any limbs or branches that might touch the garage roof.
• Though perhaps a bit inconvenient, store firewood outside and as far from your house and garage as possible.

If, on the other hand, you already have mice in your garage, we don’t recommend poison or killing traps to get rid of them, especially if you have pets and small children. A powerful, spring-loaded trap can easily break the fingers of a small child, and trust us, they’ll be tempted to play with those traps no matter how many times you warn them not to!

Instead, consider using humane traps baited with peanut butter. Once trapped, you can release mice, preferably in a wooded area a long distance from your house and garage.

Absolute Garage Builders – Chicago’s Leader

We hope you find this information helpful, and if you‘re thinking of adding a garage to your property, we hope you’ll contact the garage-building experts at Absolute Garage Builders.

We have numerous 1-car and 2-car plans to choose from, and we’re always glad to provide you with a free, no-obligation estimate.

For the very finest in garage construction in Chicagoland, contact Absolute Garage Builders today!