It’s estimated that rats and mice cause around 20% of undetermined house and structure fires in the United States each year.
Rats are often unwanted guests in and around homes. We know they carry a multitude of diseases and can contaminate food and cause damage to your belongings – but destruction from rats can get much worse.
Rats need to chew on things.
Most people assume rats are only attracted to food, but they also need to chew on things. Rats have teeth that continue to grow and need to be worn down. This causes a lot of trouble for homeowners, who don’t suspect rats have been chewing on the electrical wiring in their home, exposing raw wire and creating a fire hazard.
Rats put your home at risk.
Electrical wires create heat and can become very hot. Unfortunately, the damage done by rats allows the hot wires to potentially come in contact with other objects that could ignite a fire. Under the right circumstances, a rat could be responsible for burning down your home.The most likely culprits:
Norway rats (aka brown rats) and roof rats (aka black rats or ship rats) are the most likely species to inhabit your home. Another troublesome rodent in homes is the house mouse.