My husband likes to leave the garage door open if one of us is going out at some point in the day. But I close the garage door every time, even if I’ll be home only for a few minutes. I may have to go out again, but I don’t want anyone coming in – any critters, that is.
An animal will sometimes wander into a garage or shed looking for food or shelter if the door is left open. Birds like American robins or barn swallows, looking for a safe place to nest, sometimes will go into a garage or shed through an open door or a broken window.
Then, too, you might trap an animal inside when he or she doesn’t want to be in there.
Here are some steps you can take to make your garage more wildlife-friendly.
- Closing the garage door helps block critters, but animals can still slip inside through tiny gaps if the seals are worn. Check for cracks, worn spots or chewed sections where mice and other tiny animals can squeeze in – use weather stripping or metal rodent guards on the bottom and sides of the garage door.
- Check inside for animals before you close the garage door. If you can’t coax them out, leave the garage door open so they can saunter out at their own pace (and hopefully others won’t saunter in).
- If the animal has already settled in, you can try “hazing.” Hazing involves temporarily converting that dark, safe, quiet wildlife haven inside your garage or shed into a bright, noisy, smelly area in which the animal no longer feels comfortable or safe. Turn on a bright light and bring in a radio station or other music played moderately loud. (Keep power cords away from the garage entrance, or the animal may gnaw on the cord. Keep the light away from flammable materials.) Then spray an animal repellent or sprinkle Critter Ridder, or soak rags in household ammonia. The animal might leave the first night you do this, but you might need to keep this up for three days in a row, or perhaps longer. And turn down the music if it gets on your nerves.
- Birds are a special case, and a common one. Open any windows, or if the windows don’t open, cover them with a blanket, sheet, towel, cardboard or thick paper so the bird doesn’t mistake the window for an exit and collide with the glass. Then turn off the garage lights and open the garage door. The only light left will be coming from the outside through the garage door. Given time, a bird will usually fly toward the light and out the open door. Keep people, pets and noisy activities away from the garage door so the bird will not be too afraid to fly out
If a bird is up in the rafters (“up” feels safer), tie or tape a brightly colored or white cloth or piece of paper on a long stick to make a “flag.” Reach it up above the bird if possible, to get the bird to fly downward away from the flag. Once the bird comes down out of the rafters, it will usually see the open door and fly out.
If the bird has just started carrying in material for a nest but hasn’t yet laid eggs, you can wait for the bird to leave to get more nest material or find food, and then close the garage door. The birds will find another place to nest and start over. Nesting season is a key time of year to keep garage doors closed.
If there are eggs or young in the nest, the birds and their nests and eggs are protected by state and/federal laws, and you can’t legally disturb them (unless they are house sparrows, European starlings or rock pigeons). You can also contact a local, licensed wildlife rehabilitator for advice.
For any type of animal invader you can’t usher out, there are humane animal removal companies to do the work for you.
