Rodents are a cause for concern, primarily when we talk about them as pests. These animals are known for being disease carriers and causing property damage. Although they may seem small and harmless, rodents can cause significant problems if left unattended. So, what sort of damage do rodents cause?
From contaminating food to damaging insulation, rodents can cause an array of issues that require expensive repair. Hence, it’s essential to be aware of the kind of damage that these pests can cause to prevent a significant amount of stress and financial burden.
This article will discuss the different types of damage that rodents can cause to your home and property and how you can prevent it.
Contents
What Sort of Damage Do Rodents Cause?
Chewing and Gnawing
Rodents have ever-growing teeth that must be constantly ground down. They gnaw on hard materials like wood, drywall, electrical wires, and plastic pipes to do this. They leave behind characteristic tooth marks that can ruin structural elements in a home.
Untreated woodwork is very vulnerable, as rodents chew on wooden beams, joists, furniture, and stored goods. They commonly target baseboards, doorframes, window sills, and attic woodwork.
Wires and cables often appeal to rodents’ chewing instincts as well. Left unchecked, they will reduce electrical wires to frayed messes incapable of carrying current. This poses obvious fire risks.
Other cable TV, phone lines, and appliance wiring may be destroyed wholesale. Foam insulation on pipes is also a rodent delicacy, leading to leaks or general degradation of plumbing systems over time.
Spread Diseases
Rodents are renowned for spreading diseases. These pests carry bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can make humans sick. Inhaling dust or particles from rodent urine and feces can cause diseases such as Hantavirus, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), and Salmonella.
Exposure to rodent droppings and urine can trigger allergic reactions and asthma attacks, leading to respiratory issues like coughing and sneezing. Besides, rodents can carry ticks and fleas, transmitting diseases like Lyme disease or murine typhus.
Food Contamination
One of the most insidious risks rodents pose is the transmission of diseases through their feces, urine, saliva, and nesting materials. Rodents are scavengers and can eat just about anything, including your food.
Hantavirus, leptospirosis, salmonella, and rat-bite fever are all serious illnesses that can be spread to humans. Any food storage areas with rodent access pose contamination risks. Stored grains, flours, pet foods, and food preparation areas may harbor infectious agents even if a rodent did not directly contaminate the food.
Burrowing and Nesting Damage
Mice and rats like to burrow through walls, attics, and crawlspaces to access new areas and set up nests. Their tunneling disrupts foundations, undermines load-bearing walls, and creates collapse hazards over the long run.
Insulation is disturbed in the process, worsening energy efficiency. Nesting material hauled inside further degrades integrity as it gets soaked with urine and droppings.
Rodent burrows and tunnels provide entry points for other pests, too. Snakes, bugs, and additional rodents can reside once barriers are breached. The demolition of sound barriers also translates to audible scratching, clawing, and scurrying noises in living areas at night that disturb sleep.
Odor
One of the most underestimated side effects of a rodent infestation is the odor it produces. Dead rodents hidden in hard-to-reach areas such as walls and attics can leave a lingering smell throughout your house or business.
Furthermore, rodent urine and feces can create a pungent smell as well. The smell can be overwhelming and off-putting to visitors in your home. Thorough cleaning and sanitization are necessary to get rid of the odor completely.
Disruption of Electrical Systems
Actual electrical fires pose one of the most dangerous elements of rodent interference. As mentioned, nibbled wires and cables left prone to shorts pose a constant risk. Circuit breakers and fuse boxes also see damage attempts by curious rodents.
Tripped breakers and blown fuses become annoyingly frequent. Beyond these fire risks, appliances plugged into chewed cords may be rendered inoperable. Significant repair costs often arise in remediating compromised electrical infrastructure.
Pest Infestation
The presence of rodents often attracts additional pests like cockroaches, ants, and other small animals that feed on rodent urine and droppings. These hitchhiking pests can rapidly multiply if rodent access points are improperly sealed.
No one wants to deal with a secondary infestation after having rodents removed. The additional pests and potential health issues multiply an initial rodent problem.
Expense of Repairs
Adding damage from structural compromise, replaced appliances, rewiring efforts, clean-up costs, and potential health treatments, the total financial impact of even a small rodent infestation easily reaches thousands of dollars without swift action.
Long-term or heavy infestations may require extensive reconstruction efforts. Insurance claims and damages can also rise substantially with rodent-caused fires or health issues. Preventing access points and quickly removing rodents pays off to avoid costly repairs.
Ways to Prevent Rodent Infestation
To prevent rodents from causing damage, it’s essential to take proactive measures. Here are some effective ways to prevent rodent infestation in your home:
- Seal entry points – Look for small cracks or crevices where rodents can enter your home. Seal them using steel wool, caulk, or mousetraps. Common entry points include under doors and around pipes and wires.
- Remove food sources – Store all food in rodent-proof containers. Keep food and trash sealed. Clean up crumbs and spills immediately. Don’t leave pet food out overnight.
- Use traps and baits – Set snap traps or live traps baited with peanut butter or seeds near rodent activity areas. Use rodenticides/poison baits carefully as per instructions.
- Eliminate water sources – Rodents need water daily. Fix any leaky faucets, pipes, or hoses. Don’t leave out pet water bowls overnight.
- Remove shelter areas – Clear any wood, cardboard, or debris piles where rodents can nest. Move woodpiles at least 30 feet from homes.
- Use rodent-proof bins – Keep trash in metal or thick plastic bins with tight-fitting lids. Don’t overfill them.
- Inspect mulch and vegetation – Remove any mulch or heavy vegetation touching exterior walls, which can provide cover.
- Use rodent-resistant building materials – Use solid core doors with weather strips. Cover foundations with sheet metal, concrete, or gravel.
- Encourage predators – Leave space around your property for cats and other predators that feed on rodents.
- Inspection and maintenance – Regularly inspect for signs of infestation. Repair cracks and seal entry points on an ongoing basis.
Keep Rodents Off Your Property
The cost of rodent damage comes from direct structural demolition and extensive contamination, health impacts, and system failures if infestations proceed unchecked.
Early detection and swift removal of the pests help prevent such problems from escalating over the long term. Ongoing exclusion efforts and sanitization are also important aspects of rodent control.