Most residential garages are subject to extreme temperature because they are not climate-controlled, and are not sealed and protected from other outdoors like the rest of the house. Every time your garage door opens, any number of pests can enter. Whether or not they stay in your garage and fester is partially up to you.
啮齿动物 and 昆虫 love to nest and burrow in piles of boxes and accumulated junk. Keeping your garage clean and free of clutter is a huge factor in keeping pests away.
Here are 8 tips to help you clean and organize your garage to keep it pest-free.
- Make the Time: Clear your schedule for a full day solely dedicated to working on organizing your garage. If you simply say you’ll get it done someday, it’s never going to happen. Mark it on your calendar and stick to it!
- 节距: Most of us have plenty of items in our garage we can simply live without. Donate items still in good condition to charity, and throw out the rest. Many charitable organizations are willing to pick up your second-hand items from your home. You may be surprised at how much you’re holding onto that you simply don’t need! Arrange for a dumpster to be delivered to your house if necessary. Or for smaller amounts of items that need to be pitched, use a service like Bagster.
- Clean Up Outside:杂乱, 垃圾, and even areas of standing water just outside of your garage can create a pest control problem. 啮齿动物, 昆虫, and other wildlife will be attracted to standing water and 垃圾 that may fall out of a trash bin. Keep the outside perimeter of your house clean to help deter pests.
- 搁置: 搁置 keeps boxes and bins off the floor, and out of the reach of pests. Keeping things off the floor in your garage is important not only for pest control but to keep your garage clean. It’s easy to sweep up messes quickly when everything is slightly elevated from the floor. Keep your belongings organized by labeling the end of the box or bin facing the outside of the shelving so you know exactly where to find what you need.
- Hanging Storage: Mount heavy-duty pegboards into studs on a wall in your garage. Place hooks to mount/hang bikes, skateboards, tools, and lawn equipment. Again, this keeps everything off the floor in an organized manner. Wall-hanging storage is ideal for items that need to be quickly accessed frequently.
- 阁楼: Take advantage of the overhead space in your garage. You can build a 阁楼空间 or install a ceiling bin storage 系统. This will free the lower space of your garage for shelving and hanging storage.
- 移动它: There are likely some items in your garage that simply should not be in there. Store these things elsewhere to keep rodents and 昆虫 away.
- 油漆: Extreme temperatures can damage paint. Store it inside your home where temperature extremes will not be a factor.
- 狗的食物: Dog food should be stored indoors in a sealed container. Food of any sort attracts pests. You are asking for trouble by storing pet food in your garage.
- 丙烷: Fuel tanks are dangerous in closed spaces—they can easily ignite from a spark. Store propane outdoors.
- 垃圾: Store all trash and recycling bins outside of the garage. Do not store any 垃圾 (especially kitchen waste) in your garage. It will attract all kinds of 昆虫 and wildlife.
- Seal Up Spaces: Are there any gaps in garage doors or windows where pests can crawl in? Walk around the exterior of your garage to check for cracks there too. Seal any cracks or openings inside and out.
These DIY garage organization tips are effective for deterring pests, but regular professional pest control treatments are necessary to eliminate 昆虫 and rodents from your property.