Have you recently noticed your lights flickering or a smoke smell coming from your attic? If so, you could have a critter problem. Rodents such as squirrels, mice, and rats are notorious for gnawing on electrical wiring. While their gnawing is a means for survival in the wild, it can cause many issues for home and business owners.
Why Rodents Gnaw
To help keep their ever-growing incisors worn down, rodents gnaw on doors, windows, floors, walls, and wiring. If a rodent’s incisors grow without constraint, they will curl around or straight up — piercing through their jaw and eventually killing them.
Potential Problems
When animals gnaw on wiring, they can create a short, causing lights to flicker, circuit breakers to trip, and partial power outages that result in residents losing power. It is also possible for the rodent to get electrocuted and die, creating an odor problem as the body decomposes. The most dangerous problem, however is the possibility of a fire due to the exposure of the copper inside of the insulated wire. When the current gets hot, it can overheat wood and other flammable materials in the attic and start a fire.
Prevention Tips
The best way to keep rodents from gnawing on the electrical wiring inside of your home or business is with preventative measures such as:
- Routinely cleaning your attic to help deter rodent nesting or identify an infestation
- Repairing holes and cracks
- Replacing loose roof tiles
- Limiting access to your roof by trimming tree branches
- Covering pipes and vents with wire hardware cloth
The Critter Control© Difference
Do not let rodents put you and others in danger. For over thirty years, we have helped remove animals from Tampa homes and businesses. If you have found chewed electrical wiring in your attic and suspect you could have a rodent problem, please contact Critter Control© of Tampa today by calling 813-948-0870.
