What Damage Can a Rat Do to Your Home?
WouterRats and mice are destructive pests that can ruin your home and cause thousands of dollars in damages. They can nest in the walls of your home and gnaw on electrical wires and pipes, requiring renovations and expensive replacements. Not only can they ruin the structure of your home, they can also create a lot of health risks for you and your family.
When rats infest a home, they can destroy everything in the home from the structural wood framing to the sheetrock and drywall. They can even chew through the pipes and wiring, causing a major water leak. They can carry disease and infection through their feces and urine, which is why rat control is so vital.
Rats carry small tapeworms that can be transmitted to humans. Most commonly, humans contract rat bite fever, which is characterized by fever, skin rash, and muscle pain. In severe cases, it can lead to liver damage. Rats can carry leptospirosis, which carries a 10 percent mortality rate.
Rats have voracious appetites and can gnaw on up to a third of their body weight a day. Rats eat almost anything, including garbage, pet food, and even livestock feed. Unlike mice, rats can destroy up to ten times as much food as a single mouse can eat.
