Mice and Rats in Your Grill

Grease is the draw. A grease tray full of rendered fat, drippings in the bottom of the firebox and food residue on the grates are all food. The enclosed island cabinet below a built-in, or the cart of a freestanding grill, gives shelter from predators and weather. Covers add darkness. A grill that sits unused for a few weeks has all three.

Roof rats are common across much of LA, especially in neighborhoods with mature trees, ivy and fruit trees, and in hillside and canyon areas. House mice show up everywhere. Both will move into a grill as readily as a garage.

• Keep it clean. This matters more than anything. Empty the grease tray regularly, burn off after every cook, and deep clean before the grill sits for any length of time. A clean grill isn't worth moving into.
• Use it. Regular heat and activity discourage nesting. Grills that are used weekly rarely have serious problems.
• Seal the island. Gaps around gas lines, electrical conduit and the base of island cabinets are entry points. Seal them with steel wool and caulk, or hardware cloth for larger gaps. Mice fit through openings about the size of a dime.
• Close doors and drawers. Make sure island access doors latch fully.
• Trim the approach. Cut back ivy, shrubs and tree branches touching the island or patio cover. Roof rats travel along vegetation and fences.
• Remove food sources nearby. Fallen fruit, pet food left outside and open trash all bring rodents closer to the grill.
• Check under the cover. If you cover the grill, lift it and look inside every couple of weeks.

If you've found a chewed hose, dead igniters, or wiring damage, or you don't want to deal with the cleanup yourself, a deep cleaning combined with repairs takes care of it. Techs carry common hoses and regulators and igniter parts. For the rodents themselves, a pest control company that does exclusion work is the right call. We clean and repair the grill; they keep the animals out.