Risks and Damage That Rats and Mice Cause in Your Home

Aside from spreading Leptospirosis and causing other health risks, rodents bring considerable damage to your home. We’ve listed a few below. 

Structural Damage

1. Rats and mice will chew on anything, causing structural damage to your home. Anything that they think is useful to building their nests, including wood, paper, books, cloth and other materials, are at risk.
2. They also gnaw and burrow into upholstered furniture or car seats to create a hidden, snug nest. They will also bite any building type to build a nest as well as defecate.
3. They tunnel through insulation inside walls and attics to make a home or gather soft materials for their nests. 
4. Aside from insulation, they also chew on wires, which can cause a short circuit to appliances, malfunction and even a fire. 
5. Overall, mice will gnaw on and into anything they can chew, whether it’s in the attic, basement, garage or closet. They may also destroy valuable paintings, essential documents and family heirloom items.

The fact is, the more hidden or undisturbed an area or item is, the more that rats and mice find it comfortable and secure. They’ll also be travelling around your home to look for nesting materials, food and water, leaving urine trails and faeces along the way. 

Aside from contamination, urine and faeces from rats and mice potentially spread diseases that can cause serious harm to your family. They may also leave a scent trail for other rats and mice to pick up and inform them your home is an excellent place to live.

Food Risk

So what could attract rats and mice to stay in your home? Aside from them gnawing through anything snug and hidden away for nesting purposes, food may also urge them to stay.

Here are the ways that rodents can pose risks to your health through food:

• Mice feed on various food items, including pet food. They especially like food items in a cardboard box or paper wrapping since it doubles as food and nesting material. 
• Food in your pantry and cupboard may also end up contaminated by rat and mice urine, faecal droppings and hair. In addition, even when they only consume about three grams of food a day, they can destroy ten times the amount of food due to contamination, gnawing and leaving partially eaten food behind. All these, of course, pose a threat to you and your pets.
• They also dig up and feed on newly planted crops in gardens, causing damage before you can even harvest them.

Rats and Mice: What you need to know

Rats and mice cause a range of risks and damage not just to your home but also to your family, pets and plants. They are carriers of harmful diseases that can be passed to your family and even your pets. That is why you must fix your rodent problem as soon as you see any signs of infestation. Things to watch out for include faecal droppings, gnaw marks and a rotten smell from their urine. 

Arnies Pest Management can help solve your rodent problems in your home in no time. We are a pest control service in Yorkshire and the Humber, working with both private and commercial clients. Contact us at 07932 505877 to get your pest problem controlled ASAP!