Rats Chewing Wiring

[painterscabin]

I've been building my house for two years now, got the wiring in last spring, dang rats chewed my wires. I had to pull and replace many and when everything was ok, Dang rats climb into the roofing structure and chewed wires there, one even ate a hole in my plastic wiring box to get into my double wall cavity. Yes, the family has poison much, now when I return next week I'll have wiring to pull and replace again. No windows or doors on yet, that come this year too, maybe then the fight will be over, but until then any of you have some tips, something to spray on the wires or some other solution. What really struck me was that there is lots of wire laying on the floor, but they never touch it, instead, climb near vertical to naw at wires exposed at the light switch box.

[attrayant]

I've often wondered why rats chew on wiring. Does it taste good? Source of nutrition? Are they just teething?

If you are going to let the job sit unprotected for two years then I'm not sure there's much you can do. Why is it taking so long to seal up the house so that the rats can't get in?

For the wiring that will eventually be concealed (inside a ceiling or behind a stud wall), you could use steel-jacketed wire or run the wire through steel conduits.

[Pormax]

Rats chewing wiring is a big problem in Thailand. While waiting for our house to be built we rented a 2 storey house in a nearby town. Every so often we would have a blackout. Complained to the landlord who put the blame on the electric suplier though no one else seemed affected. In the end when the power was off for some hours got a local 'electrician'to come and check the wiring. He showed us the portion of wiring that had been eaten through which was very badly burnt. Needless to say that this could have cost us our lives if a fire had started. Naturally I showed this to the landlord and gave him the bill for work done by the electrician.

In my house that was built I insisted that all wiring in the roof was run through yellow (used for electric wiring) plastic tubing.

Rats will get anywhere especially because people will dump their rubbish where ever they want.

I live in a rural village, no refuse collection here, so the villagers just throw anything outside their house (or anybody elses house if they are passing) then once a week they will sweep it all together,and then burn it.

Good news for the rats bad news for CO2 levels and spreading disease.

I on the other hand have 3 plastic dustbins and when I go to the nearest town about twice a week take the bin bags and place them in the council rubbish bins that are on the main roads.

[lopburi3]

If not using large wire try doing so as suspect they like the extra heat generated in undersized runs and mistake for warm blooded food source. Some wire seems to be like candy to them (had Bosch dishwasher they loved to eat).

[painterscabin]

I've often wondered why rats chew on wiring. Does it taste good? Source of nutrition? Are they just teething?

If you are going to let the job sit unprotected for two years then I'm not sure there's much you can do. Why is it taking so long to seal up the house so that the rats can't get in?

For the wiring that will eventually be concealed (inside a ceiling or behind a stud wall), you could use steel-jacketed wire or run the wire through steel conduits.

Well, it does not go unprotected, I only leave a few months ayear, meanwhile the family is right there, but this problem accured while I was right there, it was like the rats got a craving over night , and not for the wires on the floor like I said but the ones coming out of the light switch boxes,anyhow, some informed first hand experience and input would be good.

[thaipod]

You need to put all wiring into either PVC pipe or if you want to over do it galvanized and then into strong connection boxes . I had the same problem on our land and now it seems to be O K .

[Quickmill]

in effect seems rats are attracted by the wires sheath material and even by electromagnetic field generated when the electric system it's power on.

The only think you should to do it's to protect all your wires with a pipe, pvc it's ok but a metal one should be a definitive solution.

Check all your junction boxes and even the main power board, be sure there are no holes which can become a way to get in.

I've never heard about specific product as repellent to spray on the wires but doesn't mean doesn't exist.

I knew some people who had your problem even inside a coffee machine , I could only suggest to segregate it as well as possible.

By the way a couple of cats maybe could be the easy solution .

[jaideeguy]

If not using large wire try doing so as suspect they like the extra heat generated in undersized runs and mistake for warm blooded food source. Some wire seems to be like candy to them (had Bosch dishwasher they loved to eat).

That answer seems the most logical answer to a question that has been bugging me for years. Thanks lop! The rats have gone into some aircon units main line in and caused a short...then returned and I had to cement closed all the cavities in the hollow block.

Now, maybe you know the answer to this rat mystery.....why do rats eat Styrofoam and fiberglass insulation??