How To Keep Mice Out of Grills: 6 Solutions To Prevent Them Forever

Warm summer days mean it’s finally convenient to fire up that grill for some quick barbecue. Yet, a terrible scenario would be spotting a mouse nest within the grill. If you find yourself in this predicament, you must be looking for a rapid fix. Relax; we’ve got you covered with some very instructive, mice-eradicating strategies including DIY techniques such as apple cider spray, for this matter!  

It is common knowledge that mice are responsible for spreading as many as 35 different kinds of diseases. Hantavirus being on top of this list is carried by 12% of mice causing serious kidney and lung. It is therefore vital, to keep mice away from all sorts of cooking utensils. Have you ever considered electric traps or camphor as a mouse repellent? We will discuss these easy techniques for you further in the article. 

Going into the nitty-gritty, you probably have a hard time understanding why mice nest in grills. Another question might arise on how to properly sanitize that spot to use your grill again. Along with many major reasons why mice reside in grills, which we will discuss in detail later on, Mice use waterproof, insulated mediums to take shelter. In such cases, grills work as perfect hide-outs. 

With remaining bbq leftovers to feed on, mice thrive under such conditions. Clear indicators of a mouse infestation in your grill include mouse droppings, greasy rubs, and a repulsive stink. Have a look at our well-researched article below for all the information you need to keep your kitchenware, particularly your grills, mouse-free. Let’s dig right in! 

Prominent Reasons Why Mice Keep Nesting in BBQs and Grills

Mice may complete their life cycle in 25 days, which means an unregulated population explosion and subsequent infestation are quite likely. A word of caution: Mice pose major health hazards, therefore it’s important to keep them away from your kitchen appliances. Here, we highlight the most common factors for why mice could be settling inside your grill.

1. Shelter: Are mice allergic to light? Mice are generally nocturnal creatures. It is in the nature of rodents to find obscure and dark places to thrive and reproduce away from human disturbances. Apart from this grills are waterproof insulted mediums that are ideal to combat winter cold winter and rain spells. 

2. Food and smell: Feeding on a wide variety of food, leftover food odor from the bbq can attract rodents and mice. It shows the possibility of crumbs and food remains which are feeding grounds for them. Thus a prominent reason to choose grills. 

3. Easy Access: Grills tend to have many holes and nooks which offer easy access to come and go as they, please. No restrictions for passageways make grills ideal for mice to enter and run off in case you want to check the grill for your next barbeque. 

4. Lack of Disturbance: Around 75% of people in the West utilize an outdoor grill. This means that in winter there is possibly no disturbance for mice to nest and take refuge in these. 

5. Nesting Material:  Mice use wood chips and cellulose-based chips as nesting materials. So, in case you left some wooden pellets in your grill to fire it up then consider mice raiding that place as they offer a great nesting material. 

6. Protection from Predators:  It is safer for mice to take refuge in places like grills. It’s a secure haven from larger predators like eagles, cats, foxes, and dogs. They may get meals for themselves without venturing outside since these places provide barbecue scraps.

Preventive Measures To Keep the Mice Away From Grills 

I won’t sugarcoat it; the sight of mice in a grill after you’ve opened the lid is the worst nightmare ever. Caution is better than cure and it applies accurately in this aspect. There are a few simple yet effective techniques that you can apply to keep mice from infesting your grill. Let’s go straight into details then!

1. Setting up Chemical Repellants

For you to get started there is an economical way to keep these mice away by the use of commercially available rodenticides. Bromadiolone is a generally used pesticide that is highly effective and available in the marketplace to kill unnecessary rodents. 

• Apart from this sprays such as Lylol sprayed on the grill can practically work as a repellent. Be careful to properly clean your grill later to keep the effects of the spray away from your food. 

• Another DIY method that we would like to mention is mixing equal parts apple cider vinegar and water. Keep this in a spray bottle and spraying it on the grill can work as an amazing affordable deterrent gain mice. 

2. Placing Modern Physical Barriers 

Gone are the old times when jaw-mousetraps and spring-loaded traps were the rage and considered the most effective for killing mice. With the dawn of age, there have come elaborate yet effective traps for this purpose. There are two worthy mentions of exclusive physical mouse barriers which are mentioned below. 

• Glue traps are increasing in popularity as they come with an extremely strong adhesive. It works as a glue for rodents. Whichever animal or insect steps on it is bound to trap itself which makes it extremely easy to catch mice.  

• Electronic traps come with smart-circuit technology. It is a strong killing trap as it triggers a high-voltage shock in case a mouse or pest enters its vicinity. You can place these inside or near your grill with food as bait to eliminate any mice in that area. 

3. Elaborate Use of Wire Meshes

Another preventive measure that you can utilize without paying high prices to Pest-Control companies is wire mesh. Copper Meshes and Steel wool are some of the most affordable options as they are rust-proof and can work for a very long time. Placing copper mesh in cracks and crevices will prevent rats from getting inside the structure of the grill thus blocking all entry points. 

Another prime detail is that Iron Galvanized Wire cloth is recommended as the best material for excluding mice by the National Park Service’s Rodent Exclusion Handbook. You must be thinking why? 

Mice are capable of chewing through wood, plastic, and PVC pipes but Iron can provide a great barrier. Mice cannot chew an Iron Mesh which makes it an excellent technique to keep mice out of grills. 

4. Using High-Quality Grill Covers 

The marketplace is now filled with premium quality grill tarps and covers with hooks on the sides in case of windy weather. You can now use Multiple ply-Polyester, canvas, and other materials in covers to safely cover your grill. These cover materials are not easy to chew which protects the grill from any infestation. 

You can also make use of UV-resistant grill covers which apart from mice prevention can also provide a protective layer for your grill. It keeps your equipment in excellent condition in weather extremes. 

5. Ensure Proper Cleaning of the Grill

Elaborate cleaning of the grill is one of the most practices to keep any sort of rodents and mice away.  This includes removing all the remains of your barbeque when you are done using the grill. This prevents mice from getting attracted to food smells as well. 

Remove burnt bits of food from the grill using a metallic grill brush or scraper. Afterward, scrub all flat surfaces with an abrasive sponge and a solution of one tbsp of dishwashing soap to one quart of water. This should clean any residue and odor which makes the grill, mice-free. 

6. Close All Vents and Openings To Prevent the Entry of Mice 

You should look for any scrapes or tears in the grill which can be providing quick entry points to mice. You can easily place pieces of steel and solder the opening which can keep mice away from nesting in it. 

For temporary fixings, you can use properly cut pieces of a styrofoam sheet and stick them to the torn ends to prevent any rodent entry. 

Use of Strong Scented Materials as Mice Deterrents

Mice have a keen sense of smell and this can work against them really well. You can easily use peppermint oil, camphor, and ammonia for this purpose. All you have to do is dip a cotton pad in the said product and keep it within the grill. The pungent smell can work as an excellent repellent. 

This is a relatively easy technique and the materials are easily available in the marketplace for cheap. All you have to do is get these products and easily get rid of any traces of mice. 

You can use either of the above-mentioned methods to keep your grills free of mice in an affordable manner.

How to Safely Use A Grill After Mice

In the event that you discover a mice nest in your grill, you must exercise special caution to eliminate it. Mice excrement may be quite hazardous to humans. You can get rid of it without risking injury or ruining your grill by following the described guideline. 

• The first and foremost step is to put on protective gear. You should make use of high-quality certified gloves and a mask before removing the nesting material. 
• With the help of your gloves, pick up the nest making sure that no area on your hands is exposed. Carefully place the nest in an empty box and take it outdoors. You can burn it off to remove any remains. 
• The next step is to cleanse the grill to get rid of any residual pheromones and any food, excrement, or urine that may have been left behind. The above-mentioned technique of cleaning the grill can be utilized in this step. 
• Adding to that, spray the interior and outside of the grill with water to remove any residual ash. Get to scrubbing! Remember to thoroughly clean the firebox and the grates by washing them in a hot water and then drying them off with a lint-free towel. 
• You can also soak the area in a bleach solution or other EPA-approved disinfectant. 
• After you’re through cleaning, it is essential that you either disinfect all of your equipment or toss it away. 

Conclusion

Infestations by rodents are a severe public health risk and have proved to cause serious diseases. Mice are known to commonly thrive and nest in secluded places and grills are not left out from this list. However, to ease your discomfort in such a case, our aforementioned preventive methods can prove to be highly effective. 

Whether you want to use our carefully described DIY techniques or modern electronic traps to keep mice away, we are certain that this guide will help you in a positive way. To further propagate this set of information to help someone out, don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family.