Do rats destroy insulation in the attic?

Rats will destroy many things given the chance and due this destructive nature of theirs, one would expect a chaotic surrounding wherever they live, but not necessarily. For instance, you will find holes in clothing made by rats by chewing through them. They may also go to an extent of dragging these clothing to their nesting areas to provide more warmth. Just like that, the rats can victimize the attic too if they get access to it. Some of the destructions caused include;





• Destruction of electrical insulation
Rats will chew though electrical wires so as to keep their teeth sharp. This adaptive behaviour is referred to as gnawing. Apart from sharpening their teeth, they use this insulation material to build their nests. This poses great danger to the home owners as exposed electrical wires are a possible cause for fire outbreaks in homes.

• Disruption of thermal insulation
Thermal insulators in homes help in maintaining room temperature especially during summer when it is too hot or during winter when it is too cold outside. Rats don’t get this and so they will gnaw on this insulation or eat through them to create more crawling space. With damaged heating and cooling systems, temperature regulation becomes hard resulting in ambient temperature. Also, exposed thermal wires may start fires.

• Rats’ wastes
These animals have no toilet routines. They will urinate and defecate anywhere. With large amounts of these waste products in the attic, air circulation is disrupted. Also, a pool of urine over time moistens insulation thus weakening them hence increasing their vulnerability to damage.

• Grease stains
Wondering why there is a pheromone scent in your attic? It’s the grease stain on the wood or wires left by rats due to frequent movement through that area that is found in their fur.

• Matted insulation
Rats move frequently resulting to matted insulation over time. This may impact the R value and effectiveness of insulation negatively thus more energy will be needed to carry out the heating and cooling processes and so are the bills.

• Dead rats
They have a short life span and so having a dead rat in the attic is an expected thing. However, the problem comes in when the rat starts to rot. The bad smell can be felt all over the house as the attic forms the basis of air circulation in the house. This creates inhospitable conditions to live in.

• Chewed eaves and wood
Apart from insulators, rats will also chew through wood and eaves to sharpen their teeth. Also, some parts are hidden by these structures and so they’ll eat through them to get access of these cosy areas. This may result in roof damage and in extreme cases, the house may fall apart.



Read the How to get rid of rats page for helpful information and to learn more about Do rats destroy insulation in the attic?

Do rats destroy insulation in the attic?

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