A garage is a storage room with an overhead door. It holds boxes, tools, bikes, kayaks and holiday decorations, and everything sits against a wall. To a rodent looking for a dry corner in a wet season, that is an ideal place to settle.
This plan breaks the job into small stages. You do not have to do it in one day.
Season stage.
Walk the garage with a flashlight and look at the base of the walls, the corners and the area behind shelves. Note droppings, gnawed boxes, shredded material and greasy marks. If you find waste, do not shake out boxes or sweep. Use the damp method in the safety block below.
- The door bottom seal and the side tracks.
- The seam between wall and slab.
- Gaps around pipes and wires.
- The area behind the water heater or freezer.
Season stage.
Pull items away from walls and group them on shelves. Cardboard is the first thing to replace, because it gives animals both food and bedding. Plastic totes with tight lids work better, and shelves keep them off the floor.
Check stored fabric, such as sleeping bags and winter coats, which are favorite nest material. Sealed totes protect them. If something smells musty or is stained, set it aside and consider whether it should be cleaned or thrown out.
Season stage.
A spare freezer, a workbench with power tools and a water heater closet all give off warmth. Look behind and around each, and check cords for gnawing. If a cord is damaged, do not use it, and call an electrician for repair.
A burning smell or a breaker that trips for no clear reason deserves a look right away. Unplug what you can and stay out of the area if you smell smoke.
| Garage feature. | Risk. | What helps. |
|---|---|---|
| Worn door seal. | Easy access from outside. | New seal and kick plate. |
| Cardboard on the floor. | Nest material and cover. | Plastic totes on shelves. |
| Open bag of seed or pet food. | A steady meal. | Metal or heavy plastic bin. |
| Gap around a pipe. | A hidden route into the house. | Metal collar and sealant. |
Would a live voice beat a web page? The number below rings the same desk whether it is noon or 3 a.m.
Ring (888) 686-4821Season stage.
Once the clutter is under control, look at the openings. Replace worn seals, fill gaps around pipes with metal and sealant and cover vents with mesh. If you are not sure whether animals are still inside, call before sealing.
In a wet climate, check the garage monthly. Look at the door seal, the wall base and the shelves. A small amount of effort now prevents a larger mess in spring.
When to bring in help.
If you find nests, heavy droppings or signs that animals are active, call. Garage and basement control describes the visit, and trapping and exclusion follow in order. If a vehicle is stored there, see the vehicle page.
If you share a wall with a neighbor or an attached house, say so. A garage often connects to living space, and animals travel along pipes and wires.
A five-minute monthly walk.
Put a reminder on the first weekend of each month in the wet season. Open the door, inspect the seal and the base of the walls, glance behind the freezer and lift a few totes. If all is clean you are done fast, and if something is wrong you caught it while it was small.
Safety steps for waste and nests
Federal health agencies offer every home the same guidance, and none of it relies on hiring a company.
- The first rule is simple: dry waste is never brushed or vacuumed.
- Give a musty storeroom or attic thirty minutes of cross ventilation ahead of any cleanup.
- Germs are too small to see, so gloves go on before you start and soap and water finish the job.
- Cover pellets and the surface under them with disinfectant, hold off for about five minutes, and wipe up with throwaway towels.
- Wipes and debris share one closed bag that joins the ordinary garbage, and hands stay covered around any body.
- Unwell some weeks on? Ask a clinician, and describe the rodent contact.
Where the safety advice comes from
A short guide cannot hold everything an agency page does, so defer to the agency where the two differ.
- Cleaning Up After Rodents, from the CDC: How long disinfectant should sit, what to wear, and where the waste ends up.
- Hantavirus Prevention, from the CDC: How to stay healthy near rodents: seal, trap, and clean carefully afterward.