Written Pest World and published on https://www.pestworld.org/.

Garages service the purpose of protecting vehicles, neatly storing items, and can even double as additional workspace. While the garage is a practical and adaptable household area, it’s also often home to a range of bugs and other pests. During a hot summer, insects are looking for a reprieve from the heat and a reliable water source, while in the winter, they need protection and warmth. Finding critters in your garage is often unsettling and inconvenient, but there are several quick methods to remove unwanted housemates and help minimize future infestations.

Common Pests & Bugs Found in the Garage

The garage is meant to give shelter to your car, store tools, sports equipment, and anything else that needs to be packed up out of sight. It also serves as the perfect shelter for bugs and rodents. Compared to more secure parts of the house, the garage – sometimes left open for extended periods of time – provides easy access to your home for bugs and other small critters seeking protection from the outdoor elements. The first step in keeping bugs out of the garage is identifying them.

Identifying Bugs in the Garage

Silverfish in the Garage

Known to infest almost all parts of the house, silverfish are particularly fond of garages. They either gain entry by sneaking under doors or by being brought in via infested items like cardboard boxes. Once inside, these fast and agile pests will feed on paper items, glue, clothing, and food such as flour, meat, and even other silverfish. An infestation can quickly grow, as females can lay up to three eggs per day, hiding them in cracks and under objects.

Crickets in the Garage

Camel crickets, named for their humpback appearance, will often invade structures such as garages when the weather gets too hot and dry for them. Camel crickets are also able to traverse environments using their jumping abilities and can wreak havoc in garages by damaging fabrics and clothing, no matter how high of a shelf they are stored on.

Mice in the Garage

During the winter months, deer mice will seek shelter from the harsh conditions in garages. While these invaders will build nests in storage boxes and wall voids, they can even sneak into cars for extra warmth. Plus, cars have an abundance of chewable items – from food crumbs to wires – making garages even more enticing to them. Able to squeeze through holes as small as a pencil, deer mice can easily make a home out of any garage that is not properly sealed.

Spiders in the Garage

Feeding on smaller insects, house spiders have a difficult time surviving in modern-day homes that employ effective pest control methods. As a result, they migrate to areas of the house that are more susceptible to pests, such as garages, in order to feed themselves. Once inside, they will get started spinning webs and laying eggs.

Sowbugs in the Garage

Sowbugs are land-dwelling crustaceans with worldwide distribution. Sowbugs are confined to areas of high moisture because they lack a closing device for their respiratory system and an outer waxy layer of their exoskeleton that would reduce water loss. For this reason, they are inactive during the day when the sun is shining and instead hide under objects to prevent moisture loss. They can be found around buildings and will occasionally enter homes via door thresholds. Homes with sliding glass doors are particularly susceptible to a sowbug infestation. If a homeowner finds multiple sowbugs inside, it likely means that there is a large population immediately outside the home.

Flies in the Garage

Homeowners may encounter flies in the garage and other areas of the home. Flies are attracted to buildings by air currents and odors. Oftentimes, they will enter garages when the garage door is open. House flies can be found resting on nearly any surface including on walls, floors, window sills and other various objects found in the garage. 

Ground Beetles in the Garage

Ground beetles get their name from their general habit of occurring on the ground. They are usually found hiding underneath stones during the daytime. Most species are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. Ground beetles enter homes by crawling under poorly sealed garage doors or flying through open windows.

Original post here https://www.pestworld.org/pest-in-the-house/garage/.