While rats may be small and sometimes cute, they can cause severe destruction to your home. One of the leading ways they cause harm inside residential properties is by chewing through electrical wires. However, what many people don’t realize about rats is that such destructive behavior is in their DNA. While you can’t fight their biology, there are some steps you can take to limit the damaging presence of rats in your home. The first step is in understanding why rats chew on wires in the first place.
Bred to Chew
Gnawing and chewing is a necessary instinct for rats that can impact their well-being if avoided. This is due to the fact that the teeth of rodents constantly grow, and if they grow too long, it makes it difficult for them to eat their next meal. Therefore, in order to file their teeth down to a proper length for eating, they must constantly chew. Because rats have been chewing electrical wires for years, wire manufacturers have actually attempted to make their products distasteful to rats. Unfortunately, such efforts have been unsuccessful simply because rats will chew through anything to keep their teeth at a manageable size.
Wire Obstacles
Another reason rats chew on wires is because they sometimes see wires as an obstacle to overcome. As they’re maneuvering around your home through holes in studs and joists, these wires may get in the way.
The Damage Done
Aside from damaged wires, which will need to be replaced, rats can cause electrical shortages and short circuits. As if power outages and lack of wifi wasn’t bad enough, frayed electrical wires and cables can also lead to life-threatening house fires. To prevent loss of power and the threat of fire, you should inspect your home for points of entry that rats have used to gain access to your residence. Most of the time, rats enter a home through holes in the attic, vents, soffits, and under loose roof shingles.
One way to limit the number of rats accessing your roof is to cut back tree limbs next to your home. Rats often use tree limbs to jump onto your roof and into your residence.
Professional Rat Removal in Tampa
While there are things you can do to limit rats from infiltrating your home and causing destruction, it’s recommended to choose a professional team to ensure these rats stay away for good. To avoid the hassle, risks, and cost of DIY rat prevention projects, we recommend choosing a professional pest removal company like Critter Control® of Tampa.
Experienced and respected in the wildlife control industry, we’ve gained authority in the Tampa area as the go-to experts for quick and efficient rat removal. Our highly trained and certified technicians will inspect your home to determine the level of your infestation and strategize a plan to permanently remove all nuisance wildlife. We also offer a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee and warranty on all workmanship and materials. If you are ready to kick invasive and unwelcome rats to the curb, please contact Critter Control® of Tampa today to get a free estimate and schedule an appointment.
