Why Do Rats and Mice Chew Electrical Wires?

Sometimes the first noticeable sign people have of a rodent infestation is that the electrical wiring in their home has chew marks. If they have pets they may attribute the chewing to them. But many people who don’t have pets instantly become alarmed when they see the chew marks.

So, first we would like to discuss the reason why rats, mice and other rodents chew electrical wires. Here are the reasons they chew wires:

1. They chew anything and everything to keep their teeth sharpened.
2. They chew anything which is chewable in hopes that it is a food source.
3. They chew objects to stay busy. It is a compulsion to chew.

No matter what the reason they, one thing is for sure: chewed wires can be very dangerous to you and your family. Rodents are actually chewing the protective coating on wires, leaving them exposed. These wires can create an electrical arch to flammable items in your home and start a house fire. Or, your child or pet can actually get electrocuted from touching an exposed wire.

What to Do About Rodents Chewing Wires

First and foremost we must urge that prevention is the best route. If you don’t have rodents, good. Keep doing what you are doing and maybe even try harder to keep a neat and orderly house. Keep crumbs swept, throw away or recycle old boxes and keep an uncluttered basement and attic.

Patch Holes and cracks in your home. If you don’t give rodents an access point, they can never get in. And trust me it doesn’t take much of a hole. They can squeeze throw tiny holes by making their body elongated.

Pest control treatment will keep pests at bay. No bugs, no rodents, no bats, no anything. We treat your home and property to keep ALL PESTS at bay.

Rats and Other Problems They Create

Rats are known to spread disease. They don’t live the most sanitary life and so they pick up diseases and bacteria from all over the place. The disease or infection can stay in or on their body for years. Once they get into your home, they are contaminating it with their disease.

Rats go pee and potty too. But they don’t use the bathroom. They use an corner or crevice in your home and the property damage and contamination from rat feces and urine is astronomical in price to fix.

Rats breed like rabbits. Rodents are in the business of producing as many offspring as possible. Once they have taken a liking to your home, they will start pumping out the offspring. Two rats can create a rat population of up to 1,250 rats in one year. I’m not kidding. That’s because the baby rats grow fast and start reproducing themselves and the cycle continues until you have a dozen generation of rats living in your home.

If you see bite marks on your electrical wiring or see any small feces drops in your home it is a good idea to get a pest control agent on the phone ASAP.