Many homeowners will fight to have a pest-free home. Nevertheless, most will resign themselves and accept that their garage will never be pest-free. This doesn’t have to be the case. With the right steps and the help of professional service, your garage can be pest-free. Many don’t realize that many pests invade homes once they inhabit the garage. To help keep pests out of your home, you will want to keep them out of your garage too. A-Tex Pest Management will share how you can keep pests out of your garage and out of your home.
Pest Exclusion, Prevention & Control
When controlling pests or keeping pests out of your home it takes three steps: prevention, exclusion and then control. The same steps apply to your garage. However, you will need to take a few different approaches due to the nature of the garage. With slightly different thinking on your approach, you still want to keep the same three steps in mind.
Step 1. Pest Exclusion: You will want to prevent pests from entering your garage much as you would keep them out of your home. You will want to make sure garage windows are sealed and have window screens that are in good condition. This will prevent pests from accessing the garage from the windows. Pests like ants or termites can access the garage from the ground. Cracks in the garage floor or around the foundation of the garage walls are access points. Seal off floor or foundation cracks. A concrete quick mix is recommended. It can help maintain the integrity of the foundation of the home and floor and keep pests out. Look for other openings around the garage such as exterior doors, ventilation, and other cracks in the walls and seal the openings to prevent pests from entering in. This may seem like a big waste of time due to the garage door. However, even though you may open your garage door, it should be brief in most cases. Extended periods of time with the garage door open does lead to pest intrusion. You will get far less if you close the door after use and avoid leaving the door open overnight. Make sure the garage door is also well insulated and the rubber weather stripping on the bottom remains in good condition.
Step 2. Pest Prevention: Once you have gone through the steps to exclude or keep pests from entering your garage, you also want to prevent the desire. You will want to deny pests food, water, and shelter. Often pests will invade garages because they provide shelter from the elements and often food and water are provided. Many garages have sunk for washing or water heaters. If either has a leak, you are providing pests with water. Food is extra tricky. Many will store exterior refrigerators for additional storage space, sealed food or boxes. Many pests feed on starches which include glue, paper and cardboard. Due to the wide diet of common invading pests, a garage can be a little more difficult to deal with. Ideally use plastic or sealable containers for garage storage. Regardless of what you may want to store inside your garage, you will want to use airtight sealed containers of some kind. This will prevent sheltering or feeding pests. Additionally, less clutter inside and outside is better as well.
Step 3. Pest Control: Use traps and baits inside your garage to help control any invading species of pests. It is also recommended you spray insecticides and repellents to control pests. The aid of a professional pest control company can use the best methods to help control pests invading your home and the garage.
Pest Inspections, Control, Removal Services & More in Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville, Cedar Park & Austin Texas
If you need help controlling pests inside your home and garage, contact A-Tex Pest Management for all of your pest control needs.