You might be thinking, “Mice are tiny! How could they cause so much damage?” The same can be said for rats, squirrels, and other rodents. Don’t let appearances fool you. Mice and other rodents might seem sweet and innocent, but the reality is the damage they can do to your home can be significant and costly.
Rodents don’t make good roommates. If you suspect you have an infestation, you must be proactive and act immediately to prevent further damage.
We’re not being overdramatic. Here’s what you need to know about rodent damage in the home.
Chewing on Wires
Don’t think a tiny, five-gram mouse can burn your house down? Think again. Because rodent teeth never stop growing, these critters need to constantly gnaw and chew to keep their teeth short. It’s a survival tactic. If their teeth grow too long, they won’t be able to eat.
For some reason, rodents really love to gnaw on electrical wiring. This is bad news for the homeowner. Rodents will be able to make their way to every part of your home, from your attic to inside your walls, and everywhere else you have electrical wiring. They’ll chew on the wires and make them bare. As you may know, bare wires increase the risk of a fire.
It’s suspected that up to a quarter of all fires attributed to unknown causes are actually started by wire-chewing rodents.
Causing Damage to Your Possessions
Rodents will cause damage to your possessions for a few different reasons. They’ll rip through your insulation, tear your clothing, and make use of any other type of soft material in order to build their nests.
They can also easily chew through your wood furniture in order to get inside to hide. And they’ve been known to make their way inside large appliances, such as dishwashers and stoves, to make their nests.
They’ll also rip apart any food boxes in your pantry in order to gain access to the foods inside. Replacing these items can be costly.
Chewing Pipes
Both plastic and aluminum pipes are no match for rodents. Mice and other creatures can and will chew through your pipes, whether as a means to shorten their teeth or just to get through if the pipes are in the way.
For the homeowner, this is bad news. As you know, holes in pipes, such as your dishwasher pipes, can lead to costly flooding. If this occurs, you’ll not only have to replace the pipes, but also potentially replace the flooring, the drywall, and other ruined possessions, too.
Weakening the Structural Integrity of Your Home
No material is safe from rodent damage, including the materials used to build your home. Mice can and will chew through drywall, framing, concrete, floorboards, siding, wallboards, and any other material that stands in their way. The more rodent damage that’s done, the weaker the structural integrity of your home.
Tunnelling through Insulation
Rodents love insulation. Not only do they use it to build their nests, but they also use it as a means of getting around. They build a sort of maze inside your insulation to get from one place to another. And as they move around, they’ll defecate and urinate in your insulation as well.
Not only will your insulation be spoiled and put you at risk of disease, but the holes they make in the material will also reduce the energy efficiency of your home and lead to higher hydro bills. Inevitably, this insulation will need to be replaced.
Chewing a Hole in Your Wallet
When you have rodents in the home, you’ll not only have to pay to have them evicted, but you’ll also have to dish out cash to reinforce the home to prevent future re-entry, to replace your possessions, and to repair the damage done. You might have to buy new insulation, new large appliances, new framing materials, and more. There’s also the risk of flooding or fires you have to worry about, as well as their associated costs.
Unfortunately, your homeowner’s policy probably has a clause excluding rodent damage coverage. You’ll be on the hook for all costs.
If you have rodents in the home, it’s critical that you act immediately and contact a wildlife removal company. This will not only reduce the amount of damage caused, but the associated costs as well.
Do you need wildlife removal services? Request a quote today!