Pests will make a home of your shed during the summer and winter months. It is vital to buy a secure, quality shed as it will help prevent pests from moving in. If you live in an area with seasonal changes and high humidity levels, like Pennsylvania, pests will have higher activity. Pests are more active in the warmer summer months due to the high humidity levels and increase in plant growth for them to feed on. Many pests seek shelter to avoid the high temperatures and look for moist areas to survive. During the colder winter months, pests will seek shelter to escape the cold, find food, and hide from predators. They will breed and lay eggs in your shed for the winter so they can hatch in the spring.
Pest damage is, unfortunately, something that many shed owners deal with. It’s a concern we often hear from our customers. Below we have listed common pests found inside sheds and preventative measures to take to deter them from entering your shed. By using these preventative measures, you will be able to prepare your shed for the summer and winter months and prevent the frequency with which you have to repair any damages made by pests. Glick Structures understands the frustration this situation brings, so we build our sheds with chemically treated wood to keep pests away and protect your investment. When building our sheds we offer a gravel or stone pad foundation that will discourage pests from burrowing underneath your shed and chewing through the floor.
Common Pests You May See Inside Your Shed
Mice/Rats
Mice like to stay in sheds as they are dark, keep them warm in the winter months, and provide food. Mice will eat almost anything, so keep any kind of food or birdseed out of the shed so they don’t feast on it. They can also fit in really tiny holes, so make sure to seal all cracks in the shed, even ones that seem too small for anything to fit. To make the seals stronger, mix steel wool and caulk together as mice can’t chew through it as easily. Glick sheds are highly durable, so you won’t need to seal the shed as often. We also have a 5-year warranty on our sheds to protect their structural integrity, preventing pest infestations and expensive repairs.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are common in Central and Southeast Pennsylvania. They are attracted to cardboard and paper products as they provide food and give them a place to lay their eggs. If you store your items in cardboard boxes in your shed, cockroaches can eat through them and possibly get into your house if you bring the box in. Keep cardboard out of your shed and use plastic airtight containers instead.
Spiders
Spiders like to nest in dark nooks and crannies to escape cold winters. They will also spin their webs behind any storage bins tucked into corners as people don’t check or clean behind them often. They will find any small crack in a window or open door to get into your shed. Glick’s sheds are built with expert installation and quality windows to prevent cracks from forming. You can deter spiders from entering your shed by using essential oils like peppermint or citrus and have a mesh screen on all the windows.
Insects
Since sheds are often isolated, dark, and full of dirt, insects will hide there. Mosquitoes will look for possible breeding spots, including tires, trash cans, and flower pots. Clothes moths will have their larvae feed on natural fibers. Keep clothing, linens, and blankets outside of the shed or stored in an airtight container. Essential oils can deter many insects from a certain area, as mosquitoes don’t like citronella and flies don’t like eucalyptus.
Snakes
Snakes like to nest inside firewood, rocks, and debris during the winter. Keep your firewood outside of your shed and away from it to prevent this. If you want to keep your firewood inside your shed, remember to keep them dry and move them around frequently so there are no unwanted visitors.
Ways to Keep Pests Out of Your Shed
Pests entering your shed can cause a lot of damage, which can cost a lot of money. Here at Glick, we securely build our sheds to keep pests out. Our sheds are not like other companies, as our chemically treated wood and expert builders will make your shed built-to-last and won’t need frequent repairs. We also recommend these preventative measures to keep your shed pest-free, keeping you from breaking the bank to repair your shed constantly.
Keep Shed Clean Consistently
Pests thrive in a messy and disorganized space where there are many places for them to hide. You should be inspecting and cleaning your shed at least twice a year, during the spring and fall. Remove any debris or dirt and clean any mold or mildew on the siding. If you use your shed for gardening purposes, you should clean your equipment as well, as dirt on these items can attract pests. Check out Glick’s Spring and Fall Checklist for more information on how to maintain and clean your shed seasonally.
Make Sure the Shed is Sealed
Leaks and cracks in your shed can lead to excess moisture, especially in a wooden shed that retains more water, which most pests will seek. Moisture is necessary for pests to survive, sealing all the cracks and holes will make sure there is no moisture in the shed, preventing them from entering. You can seal your shed at home by using silicone caulk to fill the damages, preferably in the spring since cold temperatures can freeze the caulk and cause it to deteriorate.
Use Traps and Repellents
Using humane traps and repellents can deter pests from going near your shed. You can set glue traps and catch-and-release traps around and inside your shed to keep rodents from coming near it. There are also natural repellents using essential oils that help prevent pests from entering your shed, including lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, vinegar, and lemon. Although this option is helpful, if you are a pet owner, many essential oils, including the ones listed, can be toxic to your pets. For our pet owners, diatomaceous earth is a natural ingredient that will ward off pests and is non-toxic to both humans and pets.
Reorganize Your Shed
Along with keeping the shed clean, you should also reorganize it to ensure there is no clutter for critters to nest. Small critters love clutter as it provides shelter for them. Make sure you seasonally go through your shed to reorganize your tools and get rid of any items you do not use or need anymore to keep clutter at a minimum. Try to keep food (including pet food and birdseed), paper, wood, and cardboard out as pests will eat the food and burrow in the paper and wood. If you want to store these items in your shed, instead of using cardboard boxes that animals and insects can eat through, opt for plastic bins to store your items.
Use Airtight Containers
As mentioned above, having cardboard boxes or unorganized equipment can lead to an infestation. If you need to store food, linens, equipment, or any other items pests find desirable in your shed, store them in airtight containers to keep them safe. Plastic bins and glass containers are great options for long-term storage, as they can be sealed completely ensuring nothing disturbs your belongings. These containers will also keep moisture from getting into your belongings, which is helpful for people who live along the coast or in humid areas like Pennsylvania.
Clear the Surrounding Area
Trees, branches, weeds, and shrubs can be found around the exterior of a shed, but will attract pests if they are not maintained. Pests will hide and nest in the overgrown greenery, especially mice, ticks, and fleas. Clear away any branches, weeds, or shrubs from the surrounding area so pests are not drawn to your shed. Firewood should also not be stored around the shed, either inside the shed in a dry area and organized properly or inside your garage. The landscape surrounding your shed exterior will be one of the first things that pests are drawn to, keeping the lawn maintained will prevent them from entering your shed.
These preventative measures will help you deter pests from entering your shed in the summer and winter months. However, these measures don’t guarantee that pests who have already made a home in your shed will fully be removed. If you want pests removed completely from your shed, it would be best to call a pest control specialist.
Build a custom shed with Glick Structures, or browse our in-stock inventory that is ready for delivery. Contact one of our expert craftsmen to get started today!
