The Cheapest Ways to Keep Mice Out of Your Garage

There's nothing cartoon-cute about a mouse in your home or garage. These little rodents, in any climate and at any time of the year, can gnaw their way through wood, metals, wall insulation, and even electrical wiring. Worse still, they can carry and transmit multiple diseases, from rat-bite fever to the plague.

The internet offers plenty of so-called mouse-repellent remedies to naturally keep mice away, from inexpensive peppermint oils to expensive electronic sonic-sound gadgets, but there is little evidence that they work. A cat may kill any mice that sneak in, but they can also become infected or carry fleas infected by mice into your home. Read on to learn how to keep mice at bay with solutions that work!

What are the Signs of Mice in Your Home or Garage?

Before mouse-proofing your space, be sure you are dealing with a mouse-related problem. Mice are not always visible in plain sight, so watch out for the following signs that may indicate a mouse infestation:

1. Teeny, tiny barrel-shaped droppings, faint scratching noises, and a strong scent of urine are the most obvious evidence that mice have already made their way into your garage. 
2. Check for gnaw marks around cracks, crevices, and gaps. Mice can climb 12 inches (30.48 cm) high, so search accordingly. Wood shavings can also indicate they have gnawed their way inside of your garage. 
3. When you see gaps and holes as tiny as 1/4-inch (.635 cm) in diameter in a wall, door, or baseboard, fill these potential mice entryways with wire mesh like steel wool before covering them. Rodents cannot chew through steel wool, so it’s a great way to protect yourself on a budget!

How to Get Rid of Mice? 

If mice are confirmed to be in your garage, there’s several methods available to you to get rid of them for good:

1. You can use inexpensive wood and wire mousetraps that are baited with peanut butter and placed every few feet around your walls to catch and kill mice. The CDC recommends against using "live" traps and glue traps, as they can cause startled mice to spread infected urine and increase your risk of illness.
2. Rat poison can be fatal to more creatures than just mice, including pets, wildlife, and humans. The University of California Integrated Pest Management Program advises using government-approved toxins safely contained inside rodent-control bait stations designed for rodents exclusively. 
3. When removing dead mice, be sure to wear gloves and air out the garage afterward by opening the windows and door, since diseases can be transmitted through direct and indirect contact with dead mice and droppings. 
4. While the above are all great DIY options for mouse extermination, if your garage is infested with rodents it may be worthwhile to hire a professional exterminator. Professional pest control can prove cheaper than the danger to your health and costly damage to your garage if the mice are not dealt with.

How do you Keep the Mice Out of Your Garage? 

Once you’ve kicked the unwelcome critters to the curb, you’ll want to rodent-proof your garage to ensure they won’t sneak back inside! To ensure mice stay out, here are a few options:

1. Thoroughly cleaning your garage can discourage mice and other pests from finding hiding places or food that encourage them to move in. Make sure there is no uncovered perishables (including dog food), wood scraps, or garbage around to tempt the rodents. Be sure to keep possible food or nesting materials like hay or shredded paper in airtight containers to prevent access. 
2. Be sure to cover garbage cans that are inside of your garage or better yet, keep covered garbage cans outside.
3. While removing the temptation for mice to stop inside your garage can help deter them, it's also crucial to block any access points that mice can sneak through by installing Xcluder’s garage door bottom seal, available at North Shore Commercial Door. Xcluder Rodent Block garage door seals or Excluder Residential Rodent Control door sweeps keep bugs and other pests at bay while sealing gaps between the garage floor and door. They’re made with a patented mix of rodent-blocking stainless steel and poly fiber mesh that rodents like mice can't gnaw through to keep them from chewing their way inside. We carry inexpensively priced Seal garage and house door molding with cheap, eco-friendly rodent control door molding protective strips to rodents out of your garage!

Go Further with North Shore! 

Once you’ve made sure your garage is pest-proof, take your garage to greater heights by shopping North Shore’s array of garage accessories. Also, stay on top of any potential garage issues by reading our Guide to Garage Door Maintenance!

Still Curious About Xcluder?

Please ask! Our in-house experts can help you with your questions for Genie and other top brands on the market. Get in touch with our support crew:

• Live chat: Click the green "Contact Us" button on the right
• Call: 800-783-6112
• Email: support@northshorecommercialdoor.com