Rats have evolved to be incredibly destructive. They have a voracious appetite, and they can quickly destroy things in a property. They are very clever and can master new situations in less than two weeks. Rats can enter a property through the smallest of gaps, and once they are inside, they will eat anything available. This includes wood, cables, plastic, and even concrete.
Plumbing
Rats find it easy to enter plumbing systems because they are small. They will try to move through a pipe system, which means they can easily get into sinks and toilets. The effect of this is that rats will get into water supplies and contaminate them. They also defecate into pipes which means that you cannot use your shower, toilet, or sink until an expert plumber deals with the problem.
Wires
Fire hazards can be caused when rats chew through wires. Rats will chew on any wires, including copper wires used for data transmission. The effect of this is that the internet can become unreliable or slow, and there could also be power failures in a property if the rats have chewed through electricity cables. A severe fire hazard could also occur because of the rats.
Food contamination
Rats can contaminate your food. They are known to invade pantries, cupboards, and even refrigerators so that they can have access to food. They may carry bacteria such as salmonella and listeria with them, which can make you and your family very ill. If a rat gets into a bag of flour, it will then contaminate the entire container. Rats also like sweet things like candy and chocolate, so those need to be exceptionally well-protected from contamination.
Wood
Rats also love wood and will readily chew through it to make their nests or burrows. This can result in structural weaknesses over time and make your property unsafe for you to live in. Don’t let this happen! Get rid of those rodents right away! Rats will also often bite into the structural elements of your home or building. This includes wooden support beams, metal pipes and wires, and more. Rats can chew through these materials and leave them open to more significant damage from water, heat, and cold weather conditions.
Health risks
Rats can carry and transmit diseases to humans and animals. The incidence of the rat-borne disease is low, but it can be quite severe when it occurs. The major diseases transmitted by rats are the plague, murine typhus, salmonellosis (food poisoning), leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, and trichinosis. Other conditions include toxoplasmosis and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Rats also carry fleas that transmit plague.
Financial losses
Rat infestations in food processing plants have caused severe economic losses to businesses through contamination of manufactured foods with rat droppings, urine, and fur or the destruction of packaged foods by rats’ gnawing activities.
Damage to fabric item
When rats are nesting in a particular area of your home, it’s not uncommon for them to chew on fabric items like clothing and blankets and paper materials like books and magazines. They seem to have an affinity for soft materials and will often chew holes into these items or even consume pieces of them if they’re hungry enough. So if you have any valuable books or clothing stored away in boxes in your attic or garage, be sure to check them periodically for signs of rat damage.
The bottom line
Despite their rather disarming, fuzzy appearance, rats are not cuddly pets. They are wild animals that can do a lot of damage to your property. If you think you have rats in your home, they must be exterminated as soon as possible. Contact a pest control service today to discuss your options for extermination.
