Even the most ardent animal lovers aren’t generally keen for mice, cockroaches, flies, and other pests to make a home in their garages. Beyond just making us squeamish, these creatures pose very real health risks for homeowners and are a major liability for businesses. Many strategies can be employed to prevent an infestation – including choosing the right Cleveland garage door.

Why Pests Prefer Garage Nests

Whether we’re talking about residential garage doors or commercial garage doors, pest deterrence is a consideration that shouldn’t be overlooked. These animals thrive in close proximity to humans, and have adapted well in Northeast Ohio to rural, suburban, and commercial environments.

In homes, they’re attracted to garages not only because they provide warmth and moisture, but also food – either excess stored in outdoor refrigerators or shelves or (more commonly) whatever is discarded in the large garbage containers frequently stored in garages.

Rodents, especially mice and rats, can be common pests on commercial properties. Entry points can include windows without screens, pipes, vents, walls, ceilings – and doors. Exterior doors that have gaps or don’t close properly are essentially a “welcome” sign for creepy crawlies. Door frames need to be appropriately sealed – particularly those in the loading docks of warehouses and other industrial buildings.

Problems Caused by Pests in Garages

Despite being small, these pests can cause a lot of damage, even in garages. For instance:

• Mice can chew through plastic, wood, and electrical wires (all of which may be present in garage door components). They’ve also been known to gnaw their way through boxes and damage stored valuables. They can also create fire hazards, damage expensive equipment, and cause power disruptions.
• Rabbits and rodents (mice, squirrels, rats, chipmunks, and muskrats) can carry a laundry list of diseases, including ringworm, leptospirosis bacteria, meningitis (especially dangerous for pregnant people and fetuses), monkeypox, rat bite fever, hantavirus, plague, tularemia, and vectorborne diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
• Cockroaches can carry diseases like cholera, dysentery, leprosy, and gastroenteritis. They can also easily chew threw paper, cardboard, plastic bags, and thin plastic containers.
• Snakes, frogs and other reptiles and amphibians can pass on serious bacterial infections like salmonella and mycobacterium.

Sometimes by the time you realize an animal has made its home in the garage, there’s already an infestation. It’s always best to aim for prevention.

How Your Cleveland Garage Door Choice Can Make a Difference

Many pest prevention strategies for Ohio garages – commercial or industrial – involve making it less tempting in the first place: Reducing clutter, keeping all food items in sealed containers, putting garbage outside and away from doors, trim trees nearby, and regularly sweeping and cleaning. Keeping doors closed when not in active use is also a good idea.

Coupling all this with choosing a high-quality Cleveland garage door can go a long way toward reducing the pest risk.

The type of doors we recommend if this is likely to be a concern for your home or business location:

• Metal material. Wooden doors are easy enough for mice and squirrels to get through. They’re also prone to degradation over time, which can make them vulnerable to insect, rodent, and reptile entry and infestation.
• Insulated doors. Doors that are well-insulated will make it impossible for creatures to nest inside the door. Polyurethane foam injected into the door can be highly effective for this purpose (and has many other benefits too, such as noise insulation, temperature control, more effective wind and water barrier, etc.).
• Door with sweeps and seals. These can help address gaps between the door and the floor. You might also consider adding weatherstripping, which helps seal the door and makes it tougher for creatures to chew or squeeze through.

If you’re concerned about pests, but already have a Cleveland garage door (and aren’t in the market for a new one anytime soon), it’s going to be especially important for you to prioritize garage door maintenance and repairs. Any issues with closure, cracks, insulation, windows – all of that needs to be addressed right away to ward off a potential pest issues. We recommend an annual professional inspection and maintenance – particularly for commercial garage doors and any others that are high-traffic.

Still have questions about the best type of pest-deterrent garage door for your home or commercial operation? We’re happy to offer our expertise and insight.

Advance Door Co. provides commercial door products, services, repairs, and replacements to customers throughout Northeast Ohio, including Cleveland, Parma, and surrounding communities.

Additional Resources:

Vertebrate Pest Control Management, Category 7, A Guide for Commercial Applicators, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Regulation, 2018

5 things in your garage that attract mice to your home, Dec. 2, 2021, By Tiffany Tenley, Ehrlich Pest Control

More Blog Entries:

Benefits of Cleveland Insulated Garage Doors for Our Commercial Customers, Dec. 15, 2022, Garage Door Installation Cleveland Blog