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How to Keep Mice Out of Lawn Mowers – 2 Helpful Methods!

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Like most people, you might also store your lawnmower in your garage or a shed to keep it safe from various environmental factors.

It is undoubtedly an excellent way to keep the mower dry, but there is a little problem that easily slips our mind; the pesky mice!

We are here to teach you everything about how to keep mice out of lawn mowers and keep them safe.

  • Mice love to hide in sheds and garages, away from the eyes of their predators.
  • They often make nests inside the mowers in small openings and crevices.
  • Mice can multiply in number quite rapidly, and they can also damage your machinery.
  • Initially, they go undetected because these nocturnal creatures rummage at night.

It is best to take all measures to prevent them from sleeping in your valuable things. But if you’ve been struck by mice infestation, then we are here to help you regarding how to keep mice out of lawn mowers.

Lawn mower in front of a wooden wall—how to keep mice out of lawn mower
How to keep mice out of lawn mowers? It would be best to maintain proper hygiene—Image via Rick Whittle.

2 Helpful Methods on How to Keep Mice Out of Lawn Mowers

Further in the article, we have elaborated some helpful techniques and preventative measures to keep mice out of lawn mowers.

But before that, here are some methods you can opt for to keep the mice out and exterminate them.

Rodenticide

If your mice infestation is severe or out of hand, you must opt for a rodenticide.

As we mentioned before, mice are crafty little creatures, and they can open escape or sneak around the mousetraps. A rodenticide is used to avoid such problems.

“A rodenticide is a form of pesticide especially designed to kill rodents. Rodenticides are composed of palatable toxins that kill the mice when ingested by them.”

These palates are highly effective and more desirable than bait from food sources.

We suggest using a rodenticide as a last resort only when the mice infestation is bad. Rodenticides may have adverse effects on the environment. And if you have pets or kids, you must be extra careful. Rodenticides are highly toxic if consumed.

Using Rodent-Proof Caulk

Using a rodent-proof caulk is a less harsh method to keep the mice out.

Mice can easily cross through any cracks, holes, or openings. It will help if you put barriers the mice cannot nibble through to keep them out.

You can use many caulking materials to keep the mice out.

These materials include silicone sealant, mesh wire, steel wool, and cement.

The material used for caulking depends entirely on how large of an opening you need to cover.

“One significant benefit of caulking is that it eliminates the usage of any harmful toxins and chemicals. If you don’t want to kill the mice and keep them away, then caulking is your best bet.”

Mice and rodents can easily bite and chew on soft materials like plastics, wood, or other sealants. To prevent that, use metal mesh wires or steel wool to keep the mice from nipping their way in.

Those were the methods on how to keep mice out of lawn mowers. Now, let’s talk about some preventive measures.

How Do Mice Damage the Lawn Mower?

Here are some ways to help you understand how and in what ways mice can damage the functionality of your lawn mower.

  • Once the mice have entered the lawn mower, they will nest there and chew the wiring. Their nesting materials can also clog the fuel pipes and other ducts.
  • The mice nest inside the engine and drastically influence the functioning.
  • If the mice have chewed away the wires, the exposed wiring can ignite the nest and cause a fire.
  • When the mice have created a nest in the cooling shroud of the lawn mower, it can cause the lawn mower to overheat and blow the gasket.

Preventative Measures on How to Keep Mice Out of Lawn Mowers

It is always best to take preventative steps to keep the mice away from your valuable equipment. Once mice infestation has occurred, it becomes challenging to control their population.

We have put together some exceptional preventive measures to keep mice out of lawn mowers. Keep reading to find out!

Store room - How to keep mice out of lawn mowers
How to keep mice out of lawn mowers? You need to properly inspect the place where you place your lawn mower—Image via Tania Melnyczuk.

Proper Inspection

Before storing away your lawnmower, inspect the whole area and ensure there aren’t any signs of mice infestation.

  • Put away all the products such as birdseed and grass seeds that may attract mice.
  • If there are any such products around, store them in airtight jars. If you have large bags of seeds, you can keep them in 5-gallon buckets.

Proper Hygiene

Keep your storage area clean and sweep or vacuum the floor before storing away the lawn mower.

It will help eliminate spilled seeds, dust and debris, leaves, and pine needles. Mice gather these materials, including leaves and pine needles, to build their nests.

  • Once you eliminate the food sources and nesting materials, the mice will leave to find another place to nest.
  • Carefully look for any mice droppings or marks that may indicate the presence of mice. Set traps at these locations.

Seal the Cracks

During the daytime, go inside where you store your lawn mower and close the door.

  • Look for the places from where light is seeping into the storage area.
  • Look for any cracks, holes, or gaps in the boards and planks, around the cables and pipes, and conduits.

Mice are crafty creatures and can easily squeeze in from an opening bigger than 1/4th of an inch.

  • Seal all the gaps and holes you discovered using caulk or steel wool.
  • Try to fill the gaps with as much metal as you can.
  • Mice can easily nibble through soft materials and wood, plastic, or fabrics. Steel is the most suitable choice as they cannot grind it.

Use Mousetraps and Other Baits

Buy some snap-trap mousetraps to lay around the location where mice live.

Put some peanut butter, raisins, or perhaps both as bait and set it on the bait tray to lure the mice. Use more traps if your storage location is large. Set the traps and place them where you have witnessed mice droppings.

  • Place the traps between the gaps in the walls where the mice might live. Mice travel the path along the walls, making it a perfect location to place the traps.
  • Keep checking your traps every day or at least every two days to see if there is any mouse and replace the bait on the trap.

Related Article: Best Mouse Traps For Every Gardener

If several days have gone by and no mice have been caught, try moving your traps to different locations. Keep setting your traps for a few weeks until the mice problem is resolved and no more mice are seen over weeks.

How to keep mice out of lawn mowers? Keeping Mice Out Of Your Ride On Mower – YouTube

Conclusion

The mice infestation in your lawn mower is a problem that should certainly not be overlooked.

If the mice enter your lawn mower, they can cause severe damage, malfunctioning, accidents, and injuries. One of the leading causes of wiring problems in lawn mowers is the activity of mice.

We have covered some excellent ways to help you with the mice problem. Through our article, you have learned some helpful preventative measures and methods on how to keep the mice out of lawn mowers.

Please share your thoughts about which method worked the best for you in the comments below!

Regards.