How Do Rats Chew Through Clothes?
WouterRats have the strongest jaws of all rodents and a variety of other animals. Their jaw muscles can exert as much as six thousand pounds of force per square inch, which is a considerable amount. By comparison, the force exerted by the human jaw is only seventy pounds per square inch. Hippo and Nile crocodile jaws can exert between one and five thousand pounds per square inch. However, some materials are too strong for rats to chew.
Rats chew through clothes to fill their teeth, and they also use clothes to build nests. Therefore, you must always put your laundry away as soon as you finish it. It is also important to use a rat repellent around your clothing. In addition, it is wise to use hardware cloth to cover any openings and cracks in the walls to keep rats out of your home.
Another option for fighting rats is ammonia. This solution can be sprayed into the rooms where you suspect there is an infestation. You can also soak fabric pieces in the solution and place them near your clothes. Garlic is another effective way to repel rats. It has a pungent smell and can be placed around the house, especially in closets and cupboards. You can also spray garlic with water near windows and doors.
Aside from clothes, rats also chew wires and other materials. Although their preferred targets are wires and cardboard, they will chew on any material that is available to them. Because they are nocturnal, it is important to feed them before the darkness falls.
