When was the last time you cleaned your garage? With plenty of household chores and duties to do inside of the house, the garage is often neglected and left untouched. It comes as no surprise that the garage sometimes, or most of the time, becomes home to pests. It’s dark and damp and easy to enter, what else wouldn’t be alluring to critters, bugs, rats, and other pests?There are many reasons why pests are attracted to make a home out of your garage. It’s imperative that you understand these in order to get rid of them. First, a garage gives a pest a sense of protection and safety. It becomes their refuge because no human walks in to drive them away anyway. Second, the smell of the garage attracts them. You probably left or stored food in your garage that’s not inside an airtight container. Third, the garage is a sustainable place for pests to live compared to when they are out in the open and struggle to look for food and shelter. Here is a home that they don’t have to fight for their lives for survival and that also provides them with food and little treats. The darkness and dampness of the garage make it also very similar to where pests naturally thrive. This is why these pests can stay in your garage for a long, long time without being bothered or their lives put at risk.The first step in tackling this pest problem is to get rid of the existing pests first. You’ve probably lived in your house for a year or so. Most likely, there are pests already living comfortably in your garage. Get rid of them first before devising a plan on how to prevent pests from entering in the future. You may knock on the doors of experts to get rid of pests. To help them locate the pests, investigate yourself what are the signs of infestation you can spot and what species are you on the hunt for. You may look at scratches, chew marks, fur, insect shells, and droppings. Once you’re armed with information, it’s time to call a professional to do their work.
Now that you’ve gotten rid of existing pests, we wouldn’t want it to happen again right? Here are tips to ensure that your garage would be pest-free for hopefully the rest of your home life.
1. Block all entry points.
Check for cracks and openings in the perimeters of your garage. Get a ladder and check the roof for all possible holes that you may spot. These cracks may be attractive to pests so make sure you seal them to keep your garage pest-free. You may call on a handy repairman to do the job of sealing cracks and closing holes. Don’t sleep on windows, walls, and doors of the garage as well because these are other pest entry points that you have to be watchful of. If doing it yourself, purchase an expansion foam, putty, or weather stripping kits that will help fix your garage’s holes and cracks.
2. Make sure your garage is clutter-free.
Pests love chaos. They love mess and dirt so if your garage is not well-maintained, pests are most likely to be attracted to it. After removing existing pests, do a general cleaning of your garage. Get rid of all the signs of pest infestation, the debris, and the residue of the pests left in your garage. Make sure to sweep it off, mop the dirt away and spray repellents for a clean garage. Now is the chance to reorganize your garage and keep it pest-free for life.
3. Install storage solutions.
The best way to organize a garage is to have different shelves and containers for your tools and equipment stored down there. Fleximounts might just help you to declutter and organize your garage tools with their overhead racks, wall shelves, and utility hooks. All heavy-duty, these storage solutions are designed to carry heavy and big equipment as well as save space for you by making use of the wall and the ceiling to store your belongings. The Fleximounts overhead garage storage racks can carry weights from 300 to 800 pounds. They have to be mounted on the ceiling and are frames that are made of steel. They are also easy to install with step-by-step instruction that comes with every purchase.The wall shelves of Fleximounts would be your ultimate space saver. The brand has offered with one to three tiers of shelves. It can be mounted on any vacant wall and could carry weights from 150 pounds per shelf to 450 pounds. These frames are made of powder-coated steel and can be easily installed by one person. Height per shelf is also completely adjustable to meet different homeowner needs. The Fleximount design is patented and unique to the market.For a shelf option that is on the floor, Fleximounts has the FS24 for heavy-duty shelving. Its weight capacity reaches up to 4,650 pounds and has a storage space of 2 x 4 inches. Each tier can be adjusted as well and can be locked for security. The frames of this shelf are made of carbon steel, a durable material perfect for any garage.
4. Actively clean the garage for pest prevention.
Do not let pests invade your garage again by actively cleaning it, freeing it from clutter, returning items to where you got them, always checking the walls and ceiling for holes and cracks, and keeping the area ventilated and dry. There should be good airflow through window fans and your garage door must be open for an afternoon that will dry it out to drive the pests away.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining a clean garage is much better than allowing pests to enter and thrive in it. It’s harder to remove pests once they’ve infested your garage. They can cause damage to your equipment as well which would mean additional expenses that you could have avoided if you kept the garage clean and organized in the first place. Follow these tips to free your garage from pests and save you all the hassle of getting rid of them.