Pest proofing my garage / workshop

[Hornet99]

My detached double garage is plagued by mice. I usually trap circa two dozen every year no problems. I found one in a box just this past weekend. They're entering via the gap [approx 1"] under the "up and over" garage doors and the concrete floor.

What is the best way to seal this gap and stop them coming in? I want to retain the use of the opening so as to move tools and large stuff in and out. Has anyone experienced a simialr situation? How did you resolve the issue?

I was thinking of securing a piece of conveyor belt to the bottom of the door? Thoughts?

 

[robgul]

First - what is attracting them? - is there food of any sort?

Second - remember that mice can get through a hole not much bigger in diameter than a pencil . . . as I understand it they take a run at it and their bodies "compress" as they go through.

 

[Doug B]

A tight fitting threshold of some description that the door can shut onto should solve the problem

 

[deema]

At this time of year mice are looking to nest for winter. You don’t need a food source to attract the just a dry and warmer environment than the outside. I live in the countryside and just accept that at harvest, spring (when there is a cold snap) and the onset of autumn that mice are going to get in. They climb 10’ to get over the door at my workshop. Lots of traps is the only answer I’ve ever found to be effective.

 

[Argus]

I live in the country and mice of all descriptions and rats are a constant fact of life here, as almost everywhere else.... it's just that most people don't see or hear them.

If you have mice, the rats won't be far away.

Perhaps a two-pronged approach.

First, but not for everyone, is a decent cat. Not all cats go for mice..... get a good one and he'll get the rats as well. Now, I can offer a rental agreement on my boy..... he has a split personality and changes out of his alter-ego the other side of the cat-flap. He's very reasonable and a complete expert. He even turned up with a living stoat once.

But seriously, and second, (this works best) is to invest in a so-called 'humane trap'. Conventional mouse-traps are fine but they are a one-shot pistol and mangled mouse-brain can be very messy to clean up.

A well loaded box-trap or two can accommodate more than one each, if you have the right incentives - i.e., bait. Position the trap where the mice tend to go and arrange the opening in line with a wall or what may be a run

Bait? Forget cheese. Waste of time and cheese.

Mice (and most other creatures) prefer sugar. Oddly enough, crumbled Chocolate digestives can be irresistible to most rodents.
After you've caught them it's up to you what happens next.

good luck

 

[Fidget]

Humane trap?



Could be fun to build

 

[Spectric]

You need some cats, they will soon chump through them.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

You need some cats, they will soon chump through them.

I have more cats than I know about (5 to 15 depending on time of year and neighbours and owls), and still have mice and rats. If you need a trap, Mousetrap Monday should have something for you:

Here's a good example:

 

[Sachakins]

Maybe take a different approach to trapping or cat catchers!

If you've got space far away from garage, place a habitat they prefer, if you've got annoying neighbours, place it there with food

 

[Hornet99]

There's a huge amount of cats on this estate and not being a cat lover..... and given the amount of cats, there should be a class action citing the trades description act against the feline slackers out there.

I'll look into a block when the door is in the shut position. Keep the ideas coming.

 

[rob1693]

I have a cat that brings in live mice has presents and releases them in my bed often in the wee hours great fun lol

 

[tulogngham]

I have 4 traps in my garage and EVERYTIME I pop in, I check them and usually on or two of the traps have something..
I use raw peanuts meant for birds.
Last time I got one still with a peanut in it's mouth ! Made me smile.
Ive used these. Easy to use / clean etc..

 

[ColinH2O]

I find a 12 bore quite effective on the rodents but you see the state of my cupboard doors!

 

[Stevekane]

As has been said, if they are about they can get through the smallest of holes, the picture below is the one I found inside my shed consumer unit, he had squeezed in through the entry for the supply cables but I guess couldn't turn round without touching the terminals!
Somone said about rats not being far behind the mice, intrestingly we found that the rather cute mice we had in the woodpile disapeared when the rats turned up,,,now the rats are gone the mouse is back!

 

[mikej460]

You will be trapping them until you die, the best solution is to keep them out using something like this?

Stormguard Garage Threshold Seal Black 2.5m | Seals & Draught Excluders | Screwfix.com

 

[Hornet99]

Now were cooking. I'll check the gap but I think it bigger than 15mm

 

[mikej460]

There are many on the market. This is apparently at least 25mm high
Heavy Duty Garage Door Floor Threshold Weather Seal Rubber Draught Rain Excluder (7ft) : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

 

[Hornet99]

Thankyou I'll measure up and order.

 

[Craig22]

My up and over has a brush seal at the bottom, and rubber seals up either side. It was that way when we moved into the house new around 30 years ago. Never had a mouse or rat problem in there as a result.

We did have a rat problem at one point under the shed. Bought a rat trap - like a mousetrap but much bigger. Set it, piece of chocolate as bait. Next morning, trap tripped, chocolate gone, no rat. That happened several days on the trot. I eventually bent the mechanism so that if you sneezed it would snap closed. Chocolate on the prong. Next morning, chocolate gone, trap tripped - no rat! I had no idea that rats were tool users, and were using a stick to trip the trap so they could get at the bait.

The guy next door put down a humane trap. All he caught was a hedgehog.

Now our cat, Cleo, then got on their case, and worked her way through five rats. Would come in with tail high, looking a bit battered (rats fight back), and outside there was a half eaten rat. Very recently deceased at age 18 1/2. She was a terror for rodents of any kind - used to bring them in alive in order to teach the higher primate how to dispatch a mouse.

 

[Hornet99]

trapping mice is easy but I dont want to be trapping them for the rest of my days. The only solution is to keep them out.

And probably being a mouse in a former life, I hate cats.