RI, MA EHS Pest Control Blog

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If rats want to get in they will! They will gnaw through anything in their path including wood, concrete, and metal! Rats have a total of 16 teeth in their mouth, 12 tiny molars (used for grinding), and four long, sharp, incisors in the front. Rat teeth are amazingly hard. They’re actually harder than copper, platinum and even iron. On the hardness scale the rat’s lower incisors rate 5.5, which is about the same as a steel nail (diamond is 10).

So how much pressure can a rat exhibit? Look at the chart below & be totally amazed!!!

The picture you see is a rat burrow in asphalt. This burrow is right up against the foundation and allows the rats to get inside the building.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

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Mice love to gnaw. It is their nature. It is not because they have to our their teeth will grow into their brain, that is an old wives tale. They do it because it simulates things they see in nature. Wires are like blades of grass so they gnaw on it. Needless to saw this is very dangerous. They also gnaw on things to create opening & runways. If the population is high they may gnaw to relive built up stress like we bite our finger nails. They may also gnaw to gather nesting materials.

This gnaw hole was found in a basement of a home that had a severe mouse problem. The mice created this hole in the sheetrock & had several nests in the wall void. They also made runways in the walls to move from floor to floor. What is more disgusting is that if you look closely you can see the urine stains among all the fecal droppings. This picture is worth a thousand words! Certainly proof that mice are a real big issue in homes and businesses!

Jason Leduc
Service Supervisor

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA