How to Keep Mice Out of Garage This Winter?

How Can You Stop Mice From Getting Under Your Garage Door?

How Small a Gap Can a Mouse Squeeze Through?

Mice have the ability to crawl through spaces around 6 mm wide, which is about the size of a pencil. Therefore, what might appear to be too small of an opening for a mouse could actually allow one into your garage. A Barrie pest control expert can help identify entry points when mouse activity continues.

Begin by checking the garage door when it is completely shut. In daylight hours, check the bottom edge for any light shining through. The corners at the bottom where the door, frame, and floor meet are especially important.

Check these areas for possible entry points:

• Bottom seal: Look for cracks, tears, flattened sections, or areas that no longer touch the concrete.
• Bottom corners: Check for triangular openings where the door meets the side frames.
• Side weatherstripping: Inspect loose, damaged, or missing seals along both edges.
• Garage-door threshold: Look for uneven concrete, gaps, or debris that prevents proper contact.
• Door frame: Examine accessible joints and nearby openings that mice could use.

Not all openings can be viewed from the inside. Examine the outside during safe conditions, especially at the lower corners of the door.

In the winter season, clean any snow, ice, and other debris off the threshold. This can cause the door not to close properly.

Will Replacing a Garage-Door Bottom Seal Help Keep Mice Out?

A new garage-door bottom seal can help block some of the entry points used by mice. The new seal must fit the door and touch the floor of the garage consistently.

In case the current seal is cracked, torn, or even flattened, replacing it will be better than trying to mend it temporarily.

Some garage doors can benefit from having a matching threshold seal on the concrete floor if the floor is not level. The threshold must match the door and should not affect its functioning.

Keep these points in mind when repairing garage-door gaps:

1. Choose a bottom seal designed for your garage-door model.
2. Inspect and replace damaged side weatherstripping where necessary.
3. Check whether the door closes evenly without leaving corner gaps.
4. Consider rodent-resistant protection in vulnerable areas where suitable products are available.
5. Recheck the repaired areas after the door has been opened and closed several times.

While rubber and foam weather stripping will minimize air drafts and openings, they are not always chew-proof. While expanding foam alone does not constitute a reliable solution to keep rodents out.

If the garage door is not aligned and is leaving large gaps, then a garage door specialist might be required.

Having a good seal installed is essential for prevention, but mice can get into the house through other openings in the walls or foundation.

How Should You Store Birdseed and Pet Food in Your Garage?

Can Birdseed and Pet Food Attract Mice Into a Garage?

Yes. Birdseed and pet food may attract mice if kept in packaging that makes it easy for them to get access to.

For instance, if birdseed in a partially opened package is stored in the garage, it could spill onto the floor. Mice would be able to feed on the seeds without having to eat through the packaging.

The same case applies to dry pet food. Packaging made of paper bags, light plastic packaging, and loosely closed tops may not deter mice from accessing the food inside.

Even a few spilled grains of food are enough to attract mice to a particular storage area.

This does not mean that all garages storing birdseed and pet food will end up attracting mice. However, making these foods easily accessible may complicate an existing problem of entry.

What Is the Best Way to Store Birdseed and Pet Food?

The best way is to store the food in durable, chew-proof containers that have tight lids. Metal containers may be considered as an effective choice since mice cannot chew metal.

Thick plastic containers can also be used if they are intended to be used for storing food.

For better garage food storage:

• Transfer food from opened bags: Store birdseed and dry pet food in suitable sealed containers rather than leaving bags exposed.
• Choose secure lids: Make sure lids close tightly without gaps around the edges.
• Clean up spills promptly: Remove loose seeds, pet food, and crumbs from floors and shelves.
• Inspect containers regularly: Look for gnaw marks, damaged edges, or lids that no longer close properly.
• Keep storage areas accessible: Arrange containers so you can inspect the surrounding floor and shelving.

For instance, if you store bird seeds next to your garage door, store them in a sealed metallic container. Check under the floor area after refilling your bird feeders, as you might not have seen the bird seed spillage.

In case you store large quantities of pet food, try storing unopened items in a safer place until when they are required.

When mice persist even with better storage, storing of birdseed and pet food away from the garage would help eliminate the easy access to their food supply.

Secure storage will not act as a barrier against mice entry into the garage through openings. It only limits their food supply while supporting other garage mice control methods.

How Can You Reduce Mouse Hiding Places in a Cluttered Garage?

Do Cardboard Boxes and Stored Belongings Attract Mice?

Cardboard boxes and stored items do not inherently attract mice. They do, however, offer protection and materials which mice could potentially use to build their nests.

Cardboard boxes left on concrete floors should be checked, since mice could potentially hide behind them, squeeze between stacks, or gnaw through the cardboard to access the items inside.

Some stored materials may also provide nesting opportunities, including:

• Cardboard boxes containing seasonal decorations.
• Old blankets, towels, and unused clothing.
• Outdoor furniture cushions stored during winter.
• Piles of paper, packaging, or other soft materials.
• Unused household items stacked against garage walls.

This will make it difficult to detect any signs of rodent infestation. For instance, feces and gnawing marks located behind a number of boxes that are piled up might only become visible once the boxes are removed.

Organizing the garage will not ensure that mice do not infest it. But eliminating hiding spaces will make it easy to keep the area clean.

How Should You Organize Garage Storage to Discourage Mice?

First, check places where possessions have been left undisturbed for several months. Check for torn packaging, feces, or shredded material before moving any stored possessions.

After you have inspected for signs of mice, you can make the following practical modifications:

1. Replace cardboard boxes where possible. Use durable storage bins with secure lids for decorations, clothing, and seasonal supplies.
2. Keep belongings off the floor. Install suitable shelving to reduce clutter and make the floor easier to inspect.
3. Leave space along walls. Avoid packing items tightly against every wall, especially near garage doors and corners.
4. Store soft materials securely. Keep cushions, blankets, and similar belongings in closed containers.
5. Remove unnecessary clutter. Dispose of unused packaging and items that no longer need to be stored.

It is important to consider the area behind cabinets and shelving units because they are likely to be left alone for a long time and will not attract any notice.

You do not have to clear your entire garage in order to avoid mice. What you should aim for is to minimize shelter while still having access to your storage areas.

How Can You Prevent Mice From Moving From Your Garage Into Your House?

Can Mice Enter Your House Through an Attached Garage?

Absolutely. Mice are able to gain access to a house via an attached garage through holes between the two locations.

The door connecting the garage to the house is the first place that should be looked at when determining access points. Damage to the door sweep or gaps in weatherstripping could allow a mouse to gain entry.

Inspect the connecting door using these steps:

• Close the door fully and check whether it latches securely.
• Look for visible gaps beneath the door.
• Inspect weatherstripping around the sides and top of the frame.
• Check whether the existing bottom seal is damaged or no longer fits properly.
• Examine accessible areas around the frame for cracks or openings.

If the door doesn’t close correctly, have the issue corrected. Avoid leaving it propped open even when moving items between the two spaces.

It’s also worth noting that the connecting door provides an essential safety function in separating the garage from living spaces. Whatever corrections are made to the door will need to maintain its essential safety capabilities, including its fire protection qualities.

A well-maintained connecting door can reduce the possibility of mice getting in, but you should also inspect openings in walls.

Should You Seal Gaps Around Pipes and Cables in Your Garage?

Yes. Gaps around pipes, cables, and any other utility lines need to be checked since mice use these for movement either inside the walls or between connected parts.

It is good to check gaps around plumbing pipes, cable holes, and openings on the foundation wall. Be on the lookout for areas where different construction materials come together.

Depending on the type of hole identified, different solutions may work.

In certain exterior rated openings, using metal mesh or even metal flashing will solve the problem. Sealants may help fix these openings.

Keep these safety points in mind:

• Do not block required ventilation openings.
• Do not disturb electrical wiring or attempt unsafe plumbing repairs.
• Do not use ordinary sealants or mesh in ways that compromise a fire-rated garage-to-house assembly.
• Have a qualified professional assess openings that involve gas lines, electrical systems, or required fire separation.

Firestopping material is recommended for repair works around any openings where penetrations have been made through the house.

This will prevent any fire that might enter the garage to penetrate into the building spaces.

What Should You Do If Mice Are Already Living in Your Garage?

What Are the Signs of Mouse Activity in a Garage?

You may notice mouse activity before seeing an actual mouse. Droppings, gnaw marks, and damaged food packaging are common signs worth investigating.

Check areas where mice can move or remain hidden, including:

• Along walls and behind storage shelves.
• Near birdseed and pet food containers.
• Underneath cabinets and stored belongings.
• Around the bottom corners of garage doors.
• Inside or near damaged cardboard boxes.
• Around accessible wall and utility openings.

Mice droppings are usually small, dark-colored, and resemble rice grains to some extent. However, droppings alone cannot give any information about the time of their occurrence.

The gnaw marks left on the packaging of food items or papers or the damage done to soft materials can be signs of the presence of mice in the area.

Droppings and nesting materials should never be handled without gloves. Do not dry sweep or vacuum suspected rodent waste as it will contaminate the air.

In case of necessary cleanup, use the advice of public health authorities on how to properly wet and disinfect the affected areas before their cleanup.

When Should You Contact a Professional for Mice in Your Garage?

The professional handling of mice can become necessary when there is continued evidence of mouse activity even after efforts have been made to improve the seals on the garage door, food storage, and other clutter.

For instance, where you replace a broken door seal but still find fresh droppings around the shelves, the mice could have entered the building through a different way.

Consider seeking professional assistance when:

• New droppings or gnaw marks continue appearing.
• Mice repeatedly access stored birdseed or pet food.
• You hear scratching around inaccessible storage or wall spaces.
• Signs of activity appear near the door connecting the garage to your house.
• Mice continue returning after visible entry gaps have been repaired.
• You cannot safely inspect or repair suspected entry points.

Professional mice inspection will assist you in identifying the probable entry points and determining the necessary control and exclusion methods.

Simcoe PestX is a pest control company operating in the cities of Barrie and other areas within Simcoe County.