— By Brad Killen

Winter is a lot closer than we all might want to think. Snowy roads, shovelling driveways, cleaning off your car. These are all chores we dread doing each winter.

Around this time you start to prepare yourself, ensure your car has an ice scraper in it, make sure the shovels are accessible for your kids to get when you send them out in the morning before school.

We all have our rituals to brace for the winter, closing your pool, putting your patio furniture away.

One crucial item that is usually forgotten about is your BBQ.

Many people close the lid for the last time, and forget about the BBQ for the winter. What you may not know, is the risks of doing that, and that is what we're going to explain.

Cleaning Your BBQ

Before putting your cover on, you should always start by cleaning your BBQ, removing as much grease, grime and leftover food as possible. This includes cleaning the grease tray in the lower cabinet of your BBQ

This is very important, as left over food and grease droppings will attract rodents and animals; such as mice, rats, squirrels, and in some cases raccoons and opossums.

Unwanted Visitors

When these Rodents find their way into your BBQ over the winter, they tend to create many problems that you will face come spring time. 

A BBQ to a rodent is a safe, dry unbothered space that they can create nests, leaving behind their droppings and more. They also tend to chew on wires found in your BBQ causing you to have performance issues possibly with your ignition system, accessory lights and more.

When you leave grease, grime and food behind in the BBQ, that is the main attraction for the animals as it gives them plenty of food to snack on during the winter.

Ways to Prevent Visitors

1. Have your BBQ Cleaned

2. Bring your BBQ into your shed or garage

3. Invest in a BBQ cover and make sure you tighten the included strap around the bottom to help prevent rodents from getting in

By following these steps, not only should this help protect your BBQ and create a better experience in the spring with no surprises, it will also help your BBQ last as long as possible by preventing moisture causing rust to your BBQ