Dangers Posed By Rodents Chewing Wires
Rodents are capable of causing enormous amounts of damage to your home. They chew through wood, get into cupboards and defecate all over the place. Most of this damage is relatively harmless. Other than the costs associated with repairing it, this damage will not injure you.
But this is not always the case. You see, many rodents also chew through wires. Rodents chewing wires can be a seriously dangerous problem. There are several reasons for this.
Why rodents chewing wires is so dangerous
Rodents chewing wires is a common problem for people who have mice, rats and squirrels. All three of these rodents gnaw and chew on almost anything. This includes even the hardest materials such as concrete, wood, and even wires. They do this when finding materials to build their nests, and also when tunnelling through your home.
Also, in the case of rats, they are forced to gnaw. Did you know that a rats’ teeth never stop growing? Because of this, they must constantly gnaw in order to keep their teeth filed down. When doing this they try to find the hardest materials possible. This is often why you find rodents chewing wires.
Where do rodents do their gnawing?
Rodents most often chew on materials which are close to their nests. They chew in areas such as attics, inside walls and under floor boards. Rodents choose dark, secluded, and hidden away areas, focusing on places where humans do not often go. Gardens can also be a hotbed for rats.
This is important because it means you will not be aware of this chewing until it’s too late. The rodents may chew through the wires completely and this can have serious consequences. For example, these wires may include electrical wires. This can interrupt the electrical supply to your home. In a worst case scenario, it may also lead to electrical fires. Over the years we’ve heard of many stories where rodents caused buildings to burn down. While this might sound hard to believe, it does happen from time to time.
Not only that, rodents also damage other home infrastructure which you depend on. For example, you may have wires connected to your alarm or security system. Then you also have your lighting and heating systems, plugs, telephone, internet, television, home theatre and audio systems. Many homes also have automated gates and doors. Rodents can damage all of these with their chewing and this is very expensive to repair.
And while rodents chewing wires is a big problem, they have also been known to chew on water pipes because some are London sewer rats. This is extremely difficult and expensive to repair. Because these wires and pipes are in hidden away places, reaching them requires significant effort. You may have to dig up pipes or break into walls.
What can you do?
To prevent rodents chewing wires you need to stop the rodents. The first step to doing this is keeping your home clean. Make sure your kitchen and the rest of your house is kept in a decent state. Do not leave food lying around and clean up food messes quickly. Also keep your food stored in containers inside cupboards. Try to keep rubbish in bins that close, especially if you have a bin in your kitchen. Following these steps should keep rodents out of your home.
In the case of squirrels, they may enter in through your roof. If you have an attic you should routinely inspect it for squirrels. Anytime you suspect there are rodents in your house you should immediately call in pest control services. Rodents chewing wires can create significant problems and doing this will help you avoid major headaches in the future.