The Common Food Storage Mistake That May Be Attracting Snakes To Your Garage

Garages can sometimes become your home's "lost and found," where all the old toys, appliances, shoes, and other items get dumped when replaced by newer stuff. This can lead to immense clutter, making for potential hiding spots in your garage for pests to lurk. To make matters worse, many pet owners are fond of storing their bagged animal food in the garage. This compound mistake can attract intruders like rats to your home to survive off the feed as the heaps of junk provide them with adequate shelter. If you think dealing with rodents is bad enough, wait until your food storage mistake invites snakes into the mix.

If you're skeptical about rodents being able to access that thick bag of dog food, think again. They can chew right through it easily and make thieving from it an ongoing habit. Not only does this deplete your pet's food and cost you money, but it also puts you and your household in danger of a snake infestation. This goes for any food items you may store in the garage, not just pet food.

Sometimes, snakes enter your home during harsh, cold months in search of warmth and nothing else. However, nothing says comfort more than stumbling upon a reliable food source. Your pest-infested garage can provide them with a steady diet if you're not extra careful about the way you're storing food items.

The first step to keeping rodents away from the food storage in your garage is cutting off their access to it. Once you buy that big bag of dry kibble from the pet store, you'll be tempted to just tie it and dump it in the garage. Instead, purchase some sizable plastic containers with airtight seals and measure the food into them. You could also get one large enough container and place the entire bag in if you don't want to ration it out into smaller bins.

Your next plan of action goes without saying, but cleanliness is next to holiness. If you create an environment conducive to pests to live in, they won't hesitate to do so. Part of cutting off their comfort is reducing the amount of dark hiding spots they have in your garage. Garages are known for being wet, dark places — a rat's paradise. Clear up clutter from the floor, recycle papers and cardboard boxes, sweep up crumbs and debris, and mop the area with bleach if you can.

Instead of using cardboard boxes to pack old things, store them in similar plastic bins. This way, it'll be impossible for the rodents to eat through. The more you minimize the activity of the pests, the closer you are to getting rid of snakes in your garage.

No one wants to walk into their garage and come face to face with a snake, even if it's just a harmless one. Unfortunately, these slithering animals can still be lurking around as long as rodents still live there. Even after ensuring every trace of food has been decently put away, rats and mice can still reside in your garage or even make their way into other parts of your home by scurrying through cracks, vents, and crevices. 

After storing any open food items in plastic bins, make sure you seal off potential corridors around the garage. The last thing you need is a hungry, adventurous snake following the smell of its dinner through your home. If you find that you have a snake infestation, unless you're an expert, your best bet will always be to hire professional animal control to assess the situation and get you the help you need fast.