Rats Chewing Through Roof Vent

Rats can easily morph their shape to fit into seemingly impossible openings.

Rats chewing through roof vent.

They can also tear off siding or shingles and chew or scratch until they get inside. The soil vents also known as a vent stack can let rats into your home. But rats of all these animals are the most destructive. They can chew through or tear open the soffits to gain entry to the attic space or they may gnaw through the screens or grates and enter through a soffit vent.

Expanded foam is no challenge for a rat. If you have overhanging trees textured walls or anything that would let a rat climb on your roof then you should have aluminum screens installed on all your soil vents. The first is electrical wire and the answer is yes rats can chew through wire. Though they may be cute these critters can cause major damage by chewing on housing materials and eating stored foods.

If you think overhead utility wires are serving as a highway contact your utility. Steel wool for instance or a mesh screen. The second is wire mesh. Wire mesh with very small gaps is an excellent way of sealing a vent.

Skittish smooth furred and not well adapted to cooler temperatures roof rats are often mistaken for house mice. Yes rats can chew through expanded foam and have even been known to gnaw degrading concrete electrical wiring glass vinyl and wood. Seal roof soffits and vents with a material rats don t like to eat. Rodents such as rats and squirrels are constantly chewing to keep their teeth healthy.

Wildlife and other pests tend to gain home entry through open roof joints in and around eavestroughs ridge vents and gable vent screens gaps in soffits and fascia roof vents all of which they easily chew through and if left unchecked can cause damage to the structure of the home. With few exceptions most homeowners will go to great lengths to keep rats from entering their home and disposing of those that do. They typically hide in an attic and will chew through almost anything including plastic wood metal drywall and many other materials to get where they want to go. In late fall roof rats seek out warm nesting sites like the upper levels of your home or garage.

Use the correct fastener either heavy duty staples or even screws depending on the material of your home. Rats climb down and get into your plumbing system and get into your home through the toilet.