How to Get Rid of Mice in the Garage
Your garage can be a great place to unwind or to work on projects, but if you are dealing with a mouse infestation, you might find that there is no longer any solace in your garage space. Even if you only use your garage to store your car, a mouse infestation is certainly something that you will want to deal with– after all, they could nest in your engine or do a number of other things to your garage and your belongings. Mice in your garage can make a mess, damage property, and even bring sickness into your home through droppings and urine.
There are a few different ways that you can address a mouse infestation; read on to learn more.
How to Tell If You Have Mice In Your Garage
Mice are nocturnal. Even if you have not seen them active in your space, there are still a few telling signs that you do have mice in your garage. For instance, you may hear them moving around at night, either in the garage or the walls and rafters of the home itself. You may also come across visual signs of inhabitation, like nests, droppings, and urine trails. In fact, mice mark their trails with urine, so urine markings are a sure sign that you have mice living in your garage space.
Related – How to get Rats out of Your Garage
How to Get Rid of Mice In Your Garage
Now that you have determined that you have a mouse problem, you will need to know how to deal with it. Mice will not go away on their own, and it is best to get rid of them as soon as you can so that they do not get too comfortable or nest and begin to reproduce. There are, of course, humane and non-humane ways to get rid of mice.
Below, we detail some of the ways that you can deal with a mouse infestation in your garage.
Remove Food Sources
One of the first precautions that you should take against your mice infestation is to remove anything from the garage that can be seen as a potential food source. Even if it is something that you would not think of as a food source, it could still be a food source to mice, so be diligent! Examples of things in your garage that could be used as a food source for mice are birdseed, pet food, and even cardboard! Even crumbs from one of your own snacks can count towards this, so be sure to keep your garage space clean at all times– especially when you are dealing with an infestation.
You should also remove any source of water in the garage, in addition to food sources, so that you make the space as inhospitable as possible for any pests. If you are storing food in your garage and want to continue to do so, at the very least you should make sure it is sealed properly so that it cannot be accessed by the mice.
Related – How to get Squirrels out of Your Garage
Close Any Openings
It’s also important to consider how the mice are entering your garage in the first place. They are likely getting in through cracks or holes in the walls or around windows and doors, in order to escape the outside environment and get into a safer space that is free of predators. Something that you might not realize is that, if a mouse can get its head through an opening, it can actually get the rest of its body through, too. This makes it very important that you seal all cracks or openings in your garage, no matter how small they may seem.
For a temporary plug, you can use steel wool, screen wire, or copper gauze. However, you will want to use plaster or anchoring materials when you are permanently plugging these openings. Steel wool should not be used as a long-term solution to plug holes because it will most likely cause rust stains.
Eliminate Outside Habitat
This suggestion is more of a preventative measure that you can take against mouse infestations, but it can also be used to prevent any infestations from occurring in the future, once you eliminate the mice from your garage. By eliminating the natural habitat that is conducive to mice outside your home, you have less risk of them making their way into your garage.
You can do this by cleaning up debris and brush piles, as well as moving woodpiles and trimming trees and shrubs away from the home. Anything that could be a hiding place for mice is something that should be considered and addressed, if possible. This is even more important if mice infestations are something you deal with very frequently.
Use Scents
Scents are another non-invasive and humane way that you can address a mouse infestation. Certain scents are not appealing to mice, these being scents such as peppermint, cayenne, cloves and pepper. You can use these to deter mice by purchasing them as essential oils. These scents can also be sprayed in the garage space instead if you prefer this to essential oils.
To use the essential oils, you should not simply uncap them in the garage– instead, you should use cotton balls or cotton pads. Soak them in the essential oils and then place the soaked cotton balls in areas around the garage, like corners or other spots that mice frequent. These may include inside storage cabinets or in dark, closed-off spots– like behind or under your tool bench.
Traps
There are different kinds of traps that can be used to deal with mouse infestations. Some options are humane and are catch and release traps, while others are deadly– they will eliminate the issue but not in a gentle or humane way. The type of trap that you decide to go with will ultimately depend on whether or not you are concerned with using humane methods. For instance, wooden traps are cheap and easy to find, but they do not always work effectively. Oftentimes, mice steal the bait from these traps but are not caught!
It is also important to note that with humane traps, you will need to find a place to release the mice that you catch. You cannot simply release the mice right outside your home, as they will likely return to the garage. You will need to release the mice at least 2 miles away from your house to ensure that they will not return to infest your space.
If you are using traps, you will need something to bait the mice into it– you will want it to be a food source. Cheese is one of the most common snacks that one might think of when baiting a trap. However, something that can stick tight and will not be easily carried off is the wisest choice. Some examples of this are peanut butter or Tootsie Rolls and other chewy candy.
Related – How to get Chipmunks out of Your Garage
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get rid of mice in my garage fast?
One of the ways that you can try to quickly get rid of a mouse infestation in your garage is to create a hostile environment so that they do not want to stay in the first place! Garages can be a cozy spot for mice, so you want to ensure that your garage space does not have ideal conditions for pests. Certain aromas can help to get rid of mice, such as cayenne or peppermint. Also, be sure to seal any gaps or cracks so that there is no re-entry point for the mice.
What can I put in my garage to keep mice out?
Scents like peppermint can be sprayed in your garage, or administered on cotton balls, to deter mice. This is one of the more humane ways to deal with mice, but there are also traps– both deadly and humane– and poisons that you can put out. The humane option, of course, is preferable though.
Is it normal to have mice in your garage?
Mice in your garage are a common problem that many homeowners face, but it is not “normal” as something that should not be a cause for concern. If you do have mice in your garage, you are going to want to make sure that you deal with the issue. Mice often come into garages because garages have dark, cozy spots where the mice can nest. Plus, they often have food and water sources for the pests.
What scent will keep mice away?
There are a couple of different scents that can help you to get rid of mice, as the mice do not react well to the smells. These scents include peppermint, cayenne, cloves, and pepper. In order to utilize these smells to get rid of a mouse infestation, you can purchase them as essential oils. Then, soak cotton balls in the liquid and place them where you have the mouse problem– such as under your workbench or in cabinets.
