Rodents Chewing Wires: How to Protect Your Home and Electronics

Rodents like mice, rats, squirrels and chipmunks can cause extensive damage by chewing through electrical wires in homes and vehicles. Their sharp teeth can easily penetrate rubber and plastic coating to reach the copper and aluminum inside, which they gnaw on. This can lead to wires shorting out, fires starting, or complete failure of appliances and electronics. Protecting your home, car and valuables from rodents chewing wires should be a priority for every homeowner.

Introduction

Rodents are constantly looking for food and nesting material. When they come across electrical wires, they see an opportunity for both. The insulation provides something to shred for comfortable nest bedding, and the metal inside provides something to gnaw on to keep their teeth trimmed down. This instinctual need to chew is what drives them to munch through wires and cables with their strong incisors.

While mice and rats do the majority of wire chewing damage indoors, squirrels and chipmunks are the most common culprits outdoors. They love to burrow and build nests in attics, hollow walls, crawl spaces, and gardens. Once inside your home or garage, they can cause extensive damage by chewing through any wires they find.

The results of rodent wire chewing can be extremely costly and hazardous:

• Electrical fires – Damaged wires may arc, spark and overheat, igniting nearby flammable materials. Electrical fires are dangerous and can engulf an entire home in flames rapidly.
• Power outages – Chewed wires will fail to deliver electricity properly. You may experience partial or complete loss of power to lighting, appliances and electronics.
• Appliance failure – Any electronics that rely on wiring for power are vulnerable. Rodents can chew through refrigeration lines, oven or dryer wires, sump pumps, etc. rendering them useless.
• Vehicle damage – Rodents often crawl under the hood of cars and trucks, chewing through ignition wires or headlight wiring. This can completely disable your ability to drive the vehicle.
• Shock hazard – Exposed wires pose a serious risk of electrocution to people and pets. Live wires can kill with even the slightest contact.

Preventing rodents from accessing and chewing wires requires diligence and proper exclusion techniques. Their teeth grow continually at a rate of around 5 inches per year, so they have a constant need to gnaw. It’s imperative that you protect your home wiring for safety and to avoid costly repairs.

How To Rodent-Proof Electrical Wires

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to deter rodents and prevent wire chewing damage:

1. Seal All Possible Entry Points

Mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a nickel, while rats only need a 1/2 inch gap to get inside. Use wire mesh, metal flashing, copper scrub pads, concrete or steel wool to plug any exterior holes and cracks. Pay special attention to areas where utilities and pipes enter the home. Squirrels also gain access to attics through loose soffits and uncapped chimneys. Seal all possible entryways to keep rodents out.

2. Clean Up Clutter

A cluttered garage or storage area provides excellent nesting sites for rodents. Keep things tidy and organized. Get rid of unused piles of wood, crumpled paper, and other debris they can hide in. Discourage them from taking up residence.

3. Remove Food Sources

Trash and leftover pet food attracts foraging rodents. Keep exterior garbage bins tightly closed. Pick up fallen bird food under feeders. Use sealed metal containers to store human and pet food to deny access. The less food available, the less interest rodents will have in inhabiting your property.

4. Use Physical Barriers

Encircle visible electrical wires with hard plastic conduit or flexible steel mesh armor to create a physical chewing deterrent. Shield wires leading to outside AC units, lamps, pond pumps or other individual applications prone to damage. Conduit is available at most hardware stores.

5. Apply Chemical Repellents

Rodent repellent sprays made with pungent hot pepper ingredients effectively keeps rodents away from treated areas. Apply these eco-friendly formulas directly onto wire insulation and other vulnerable spots. Reapply monthly for continued protection. Popular brands include Shake-Away and Ropel Animal Repellent.

6. Install Electronic Rodent Repellers

Battery-operated ultrasonic devices emit high frequency sounds that rodents find unpleasant. The noise stresses their nervous system and drives them away from the immediate area without harming them. Place these repellers near electrical wiring boxes, appliances or vehicles to create a zone of protection. Just be aware that their effective range is only around 30 feet.

7. Use Live Traps

For minor mouse problems, set humane traps in problem areas to capture and remove the pests before they can do damage. Bait traps with peanut butter, sunflower seeds or dried fruit. Release any captured mice at least 5 miles from your home to prevent their return. Live traps are also useful for monitoring rodent population levels.

8. Hire a Pest Control Professional

For more severe rodent infestations, contact a licensed exterminator. They have commercial grade rodenticides, traps and sealing products that amateurs do not have access to. They can locate hard-to-find entry points and nesting sites and take comprehensive steps to eliminate destructive rodents and prevent their recurrence.

Protecting Vulnerable Wiring Areas

Certain locations require extra effort to shield wires from rodent damage. Reinforce these key areas to keep vital systems functioning:

Attics

Seal electrical wire penetrations along the roofline with copper mesh or metal flashing. Place mesh guards around any attic wiring junction boxes. Set traps and monitors to alert you to any rodent activity.

Outdoor AC Units

Surround the wiring and refrigerant lines to outdoor AC condensers with plastic conduit or wire cloth. Place an upturned piece of metal flashing beneath as a chewing barrier.

Automobiles

Wrap insulation tape coated in hot pepper repellent around vehicle ignition wires under the hood. Parking your car inside a rodent-proof garage will also protect wiring.

Crawl Spaces

Seal any foundation vents or plumbing penetrations with copper scrub pads or concrete. Place wire mesh guards around any crawl space wiring. Traps or repellents can also be utilized in enclosed crawl spaces.

Landscape Lighting

For exterior pathway, deck and landscape lighting, choose fiber optic lighting that does not use vulnerable electrical wires. Or bury conventional landscape wiring at least 6 inches underground.

Sump Pumps

Protect vital sump pump wiring by encasing the wire in a flexible metal conduit from the outlet to the sump pit. Repellents and traps can also help guard this water removal system.

What To Do If You Suspect Rodent Damage

If you have any signs of rodent activity, it is important to act quickly:

• Look for visible chew marks or severed wires. Also watch for droppings, tracks, burrows and other evidence near wiring.
• Unplug and inspect appliances that stop functioning properly. Look for wiring damage inside the machine or at connection points.
• Check for scorched outlets or unusual smells indicating electrical shorts. Any sparking, arcing or flickering should be investigated.
• If a wire has been completely chewed through, cap it and schedule professional repairs. Avoid using appliances, lights or outlets tied to compromised wires.
• Reset any tripped breakers or blown fuses related to newly damaged wiring. The electrical shorts may blow additional fuse or breaker points until repairs can be made.
• Contact an electrician immediately if you suspect wires within your home’s electrical panel or interior walls have been damaged. Internal wiring problems present serious fire hazards.
• Consider having a qualified electrician inspect your entire electrical system for any hidden wire damage if rodent infestation is severe. What you can see may just be the tip of the iceberg.
• Set traps or contact pest control professionals to eliminate the source of the issue – the rodents themselves. Repairing the wiring alone won’t stop new damage from occurring.

Rodent wire chewing can happen unexpectedly and create serious risks. But with preventative measures and immediate repairs, you can protect your home from these destructive pests. Being proactive will save you time, money and potentially even lives. Don’t let rodents turn your wiring into dangerous hazards.

Conclusion

Rodents may seem like harmless little creatures, but their incessant need to gnaw can have devastating consequences on electrical systems. Their sharp teeth and climbing ability allows them to access wires in even the most secure locations. Once inside walls or under insulation, rodents can cause substantial damage before any evidence appears.

Protecting your home or vehicle wiring should be a high priority. With the proper exclusion techniques, physical deterrents, and population control, rodent wire chewing can be prevented. But if you do suspect they have infiltrated your electrical system, have repairs made promptly before a fire or electrocution occurs. A small amount of prevention now can avoid huge risks and repair expenses down the road. Keep rodents away from the wires for everyone’s continued safety and peace of mind.