Rats have four yellow front incisors — and these are the main teeth responsible for their continuous ability to chew their way through tough objects. The rat’s incisors never stop growing, which is why they have to keep gnawing and filing their teeth in the process. For the rats, the gnawing is both a form of self-preservation and a means of survival.
Rats will pretty much chew on any kind of material that make up the interior and exterior of homes including:
Some issues that can happen from rats frequent chewing are:
As you can see, rats chewing habits cause many issues for homeowners and therefore needs to be addressed as soon as possible to avoid further health risks and extensive structural damage.
Although the items they are chewing may not always be food, there is a good chance the rats are gnawing on your belongings in hopes of finding some. Because rats are scavengers, they will often find items to eat by tearing through different materials such as bags, walls, and boxes. This does not always result in an edible prize for the rodents, but it also doesn’t stop them from continuing through the trial and error.
While having your belongings torn to shreds is quite inconvenient, the potential health risks are a main concern when it comes to rat gnawing. Coming into contact with items that rats have either chewed or urinated on puts everyone in your home at risk for catching one of the many infectious diseases they commonly carry. And when rats chew through wires that are connected to appliances, lights, and other running electronics, it can lead to extreme fire hazards in your property.
If you are seeing the signs that rats may be chewing on your personal items, call Central Florida’s clear choice for wild animal removal: Critter Control®. Critter Control® of Orlando’s animal removal experts are here to guide you through the removal, prevention, and even the damage control needed after a rodent infestation.