While daily wear and tear can eventually cause damage to the plumbing system, rats taking up residence in your plumbing system can bring serious damage not only to your pipes but also to your home. Clogged drains, sewer backups, as well as structural and electrical damages, are among the most common problems caused by these pests. A rat control in Toronto helps address these problems to prevent rats from entering your home and plumbing system.
How Do Rats Enter Your Plumbing and Home
Rats are cunning and innovative creatures that can infiltrate houses through susceptible entry points. They can climb and jump to your home, as well as squeeze their bodies through holes the size of a nickel. Their sharp, powerful teeth can easily chew their way through hard materials, such as fibreglass, sheet metal, and even cinderblocks.
Take note of the following ways rats can enter your home:
- Squeeze their bodies through small gaps and cracks around pipes, doors, and windows
- Chew through materials to create access to your home
- Penetrate through small holes in the external wall for cables and pipes
- Creep through vents that lead to crawlspaces and attics
- Use their dextrous paws to climb up vines, downspouts, gutters, and textured walls to enter upstairs windows
- Jump or cross over into open windows from nearby plants
- Hitch on boxes, furniture, and laundry to enter the house
- Access through holes or cracks in your plumbing pipes
Impact of Rats in Your Plumbing and Home
Photo by David Bartus: https://www.pexels.com/photo/soft-focus-of-mice-through-walls-617440/
- Structural Damage
Rodents use their sharp teeth to chew and gnaw through different materials, like wood, siding, and more, to create an opening for access if there are no entry points available. While chewing through bricks and stones can be difficult for rodents, they can eventually chip away at it or look for other weak spots in your home structure, like the roof, to get in.
Once they have infiltrated your house, they can gnaw through and tear up insulation, wood surfaces and other materials, causing cost structural damage in your home. The problem can even get worse if they make their way into the floors and walls.
- Electrical Damage
Rats and mice are known to cause serious electrical damage in homes once they find their way indoors. These rodents can chew these wires in half or damage the insulative casings of the electrical components. These wirings can either attract or get in the way of rodents. The combination of exposed electrical wires and damaged insulation can cause severe safety issues that can potentially result in a house fire. If you suspect rodent infestation in your home, a pest control in Collingwood can help fix this problem.
- Chew Through Water Pipes
Rats do not only chew electrical wirings and wood materials—they also love to chew through plastic pipes to gain access to your home or plumbing system. Some rodents may create nests near damaged pipes for easy access to water sources.
If the infestation is not addressed promptly, it can lead to severe and costly plumbing problems. Undetected leaking pipes can cost you money on wasted water. Rats can also get stuck inside the pipe, causing serious clogging on your drain.
- Trigger Clogs
When rodents take shelter in pipes, they will bring debris, such as sticks, mud, and other debris, to create a nest for their young. This can cause a clogged plumbing system. Their fecal matter and waste can potentially cause water contamination, putting you and your family’s health at risk. When undetected, rats can quickly reproduce and cause infestation in your home. Additionally, when a rat dies in the pipe, its bloated body can create a serious clog, which can potentially cause the pipe to burst over time.
To prevent these problems, make sure to take proactive steps. Contact a professional plumber in Bolton for regular plumbing inspection and repair to ensure you do not have to deal with nasty pest problems in your home and plumbing system.