Rats can get anywhere!
They can live in the country, and they can live in the suburbs. A highly adaptive creature, rats can chew almost anything and climb many things too.
As they are highly adaptive, they can even survive in your garage!
In this post, I will run you through the plan to eliminate rats in garage spaces and your garage.
Before you embark on this, it is essential to inspect and identify hotspots and why the rats are in the garage in the first place. Then, take around the garage to identify any areas a rat can use to gain access.
Close them off. It is the only thing that will stop them from coming back! You can either trap rats or prevent them from getting into your garage. I prefer prevention over rat control!
Why do rats like the garage?
Before you can understand how to get rid of rats in your garage, you need to know why they like it. Why do rats like being in your garage?
If you want to control rats, then you need to know what they like. Rats like the garage as it is a good source of food, water, and shelter. The primary need here that the garage provides to these rodents is shelter, but the garage offers proximity to the other two needs, food and water, making it a perfect nesting location for rats.
The cracks on the walls and ceiling offer them access to the different parts of the house to easily access food and water in plenty.
They can hide out in the garage until you are asleep, then they get into your home to look for food!
How to Get Rid of Rats in The Garage in 5 Steps
Clean The Garage
Rats flourish in dirty and untidy environments, and since most people are reluctant to clean their garages often (like me), it offers an ideal home to the rodents.
It is not an area that folks visit too often, which adds to the security a rat will feel.
It is wise to ensure that you rid your garage of any trash and clutter, reducing the comfort and security for the rats.
If possible, clear out the garage one item after the other to identify what is still relevant and what you no longer need.
Once everything is out, clean the whole garage with detergent and eliminate all cobwebs.
Be sure to dust off the items you store in the garage. You can donate what you don’t need or sell them instead. Make a little money while eliminating rats, a win-win for you!
Cleaning your garage will also result in clearing a few food sources, pest control 101.
Baiting With Poison
One of the primary reasons why you have rats in your garage is easy access to food.
Use this against them as rat bait! This time, add some poison to a bait station too.
Bait stations have proved to be very effective for ridding your garage of rats.
As soon as your garage is clean (tip 1), set your bait station down with the poison in. Using rat poison can be dangerous, so please be careful!
While placing the baits, ensure you wear gloves to prevent them from detecting any human scent, making them refuse to take the bait.
While using poison is something I would do as a last resort, it is an effective way of killing them.
I always use humane traps to contain the rat while the poison takes hold. That is a responsible way of using rat poison because it will protect your local environment.
Using Traps
Traps are poison-free (unless you load them up with poison, of course!) However, you need to note that rats have an efficient survival mechanism.
It sounds unbelievable, but rats have been known to avoid traps when they realize they are traps! Setting a trap for rats is easy. Getting them on it can be a challenge.
For this reason, you must find specific locations where the rats cannot escape the traps.
Always place the traps in rat runs and give them very little space around the trap. The other thing is to ensure that you use food bait for the rats in the traps, such as cheese, to attract the rats toward the trap.
Be sure to wear gloves while setting the glue traps to avoid leaving any human scent.
Make sure you are checking them regularly if you are using snap traps. You will want to get rid of the dead rats ASAP.
Flood The Burrows
Even with cracks in the garage wall and ceiling, rats sometimes dig a burrow in the garage walls for shelter.
While you are inspecting your garage for rat invasion, you must identify the burrows.
The entrance to the burrow will be a hole in the ground. It may even be outside the garage. Check the local area thoroughly.
Flood these holes to drown any rats inside, and trap baits in place if they try to get away before drowning.
If you want them to drown, then make sure you trap a rat inside before flooding the burrow.
Get/Borrow A Cat
It is a drastic action; however, getting a cat keeps rats away. If you want to know how to get a rat out of your garage, send in a cat!
A cat is a natural predator for a rat, especially for small rats.
Not only will a cat chase all rodents away, but it will also spray the entire garage to mark out its territory! A rat will likely avoid the garage unless it is the last resort.
After all, cats eat rats, which is another reason you should not consider using rat poison.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep rats out of my garage?
The only cost-free way of keeping rats out of your garage is by keeping away any food and water sources. If you store any pet food or trash cans in the garage, it is best if you find new storage for them. You can keep the trash outside and the pet food in another room with no entry point for any rodents and pests. Once the food and water sources are eliminated, rats will have little reason for being in your garage. You need to seal all gaps and cracks on the walls, ceiling, or garage door with a material they cannot chew. Having a clean garage with no entry point for rats will keep out the rats.
How do rats get in the garage?
Rats invade your home or garage through ground vents, pipes, and cracks on the garage wall, roof, and ceiling. The door bumper on the garage door is also an entry point for rats.
How do you know if a rat is aggressive?
In normal circumstances, rats are afraid of humans, but some have developed resistance and aggression and show signs of attacking. We all expect a rat to run and hide while you are around, but an aggressive rat will stay put or go about its business. If a rat behaves like this or comes towards where you are rather than hiding, it is highly likely to be aggressive.
Conclusion
Use the 5 tips above if you want to know how to get rid of rats in the garage!
They work because I have used them multiple times in the past.
As always, prevention is much better than the cure. Seal off rat entry points, store food correctly, and keep your garage clean, and clear and rats will (hopefully) opt for someone else’s garage!
The best way to get rid of rats in garage spaces is to ensure they cannot get into your garage in the first place.
Rats carry some very nasty diseases, so make sure you are protected.
Good luck, and stay safe!
