Do squirrels chew on electrical wires?

Many cases have been reported when people find out that electrical wires in their houses have been chewed on by squirrels or other rodents. Even if some animals may just take one bite, there are rodents that are known for their chewing behavior. There are many reasons why a squirrel will decide to chew on electrical wires.



Controlling the growth of their teeth: squirrels, like other rodents, have a problem with controlling how long their teeth grow and the speed at which they grow. Squirrels have problems when their teeth grow long. This is why they will continue to chew on metal wires in order to slow down how long their teeth grow. They will also chew on plastic and rubber that covers the wire or chew on the hard wires.

Making their teeth stronger: since the squirrels are normally herbivorous, they should have a number of strong teeth so that they can feed on hard grains. This is why they chew on electrical wires in order to strengthen their teeth. It is the reason why the old and young squirrels will chew on wires as much as possible.

In order to sharpen their teeth: it is difficult to dig to get hard grains or to eat a hard plant with teeth that are blunt. The squirrels will have sharp teeth in order to slice the plants and to cut the grains. In order to sharpen the teeth, they may grind them on the hard surface of the electrical wires.

The chewed wires are known to be dangerous and they will lead to many problems. The naked wires have a strong current that passes within them, and they may electrocute any person who passes near them. Children may be electrocuted by the naked wires in the attic. In order to avoid this, you need to cover all the wires using strong plastic and steel plastic casing.

Electricity is known as a notorious cause of fires in urban areas. The people that have dry, flammable materials such as wood or clothing near chewed electrical wires are prone to unwanted fires. You have to ensure that the electrical wires have been covered with strong materials such as steel and that they are laid in a spot which is away from the clothes. If you have noticed that you have some wires that have been chewed on, you have to replace them as soon as possible.

The chewed wires may also lead to a blackout. When the wires have become weak, they may split. When the chewed wires have been chewed too much, the power will stop passing through them, which will lead to a power shortage and blackouts.

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Do squirrels chew on electrical wires?