Can Rats Chew Wires? What Happens When They Do?

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Yes, rats can chew on wires, and that's just one of the many areas that a rat will cause damage to when they infest your home.



Why do rats chew on wires?

Rats chew for a number of reasons, individual materials requiring different reasons. Attic insulation can be chewed and moved around to make nests more comfortable. Wooden beams will be chewed because rats naturally need to chew in order to file their front teeth down. Rats will even chew on brick, concrete, and drywall, usually to make a small hole much bigger so that they can squeeze through.

If they aren't chewing to get in or out, or to move things around and to make a bed cosy and warm, they'll chew just because they can. That's just what rats do.

What will happen when rats chew on wires in the attic?

To start with, your electrical system may become faulty. Lights can flicker on and off in various parts of the house, or just the attic on its own; it all depends on the wires the rats are chewing through, and how bad the chewing action is.

If wires in the wall are chewed through, sockets or electrical systems in one room alone may not work, or just a few sockets in that room. You may also find electric shocks start to occur, especially as you wiggle the plug around to try and get it to work.

When the electric system in your home is damaged, power surges can cause fuses to blow, rendering the plug or electronic item useless until you replace it. You might need to hire an electrician to fix any damage that you can't sort out yourself, and if the lights go out in the middle of the night, you'll also face emergency callout charges. They're usually pretty extortionate.

If wires are chewed right down to the metal components, one touch could cause a spark. If flammable materials are close enough, a fire might start, and this will clearly affect you and your household in a number of ways, not just in terms of damage, but also being incredibly dangerous.

Rats chew on a number of materials; pretty much everything that you'd find in your home. Wires are just one part of what could end up being a very dangerous problem, and one that we do not recommend ignoring. It will not go away by itself but will, instead, become more costly and hazardous as time goes on.

Go back to the Rat Removal page, or learn tips to do it yourself with my How to Get Rid of Rats guide.