When we think of fires, rarely do mice and other critters come to mind. Sure, mice sneak into cabinets, scurry across the floor at night, and hide in the walls, but they can’t really be a fire threat, can they? The answer is ‘Yes.’ Mice are more than annoyances and hazards to your health; they are a fire threat to your home, apartment, and business, too. Learn more about mice – the unknown fire threat.
Understanding Mice and Their Habits
Mice like to chew. They munch on more than the cereal lying on the pantry floor and the chips you left on the counter. Mice chew on wires, insulation, paper, and building materials. Mice chew for a couple of reasons: to build nests and to file down their teeth.
Mice teeth grow at an alarming rate and they grow long. Mice teeth are similar to your nails. They require constant care to keep them trimmed and under control. You clip and file them, and mice do the same to their teeth, but they chew instead of grooming in front of a mirror with a nail file.
It is important for mice to keep their teeth filed so they can survive. If the teeth grow too long, the mouse won’t be able to eat. That’s a double whammy. Mice chew and gnaw on the things around your home to control teeth growth, but they also enjoy the taste. You can’t escape it. The mouse’s insatiable appetite and rapid tooth growth put your home at risk.
How Can Mice Teeth Cause Fires?
Some experts estimate that nearly 25% of home and business fires are caused by damage done by rodents.
All the chewing a mouse does leaves wires frayed and exposed. When a mouse chews through the insulation, the hot wire is not protected. Any spark, moisture, or increase in heat will cause the wire to ignite. Add that to the leftover papers, insulation, and other nesting materials that the mouse left nearby, and you have a full-fledged fire threat on your hands.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the fire will likely happen inside your walls where you can’t see it and can’t access it. Inside the walls sits your insulation, which accelerates fires. The insulation is between the wooden frame, so now the fire can travel through your entire home. Any debris the mouse left behind will send the blaze aglow.
How to Avoid Fires Caused by Mice
The only way to avoid mice is to prevent and control them entirely. One mouse in your home is too many. Call the professionals to prevent mice from entering your South Portland home. Big Blue Bug Solutions in Southern Maine is trained in exclusion techniques, such as sealing cracks and crevices, to keep mice out of your home. If you already have mice, even just one, in your home, your local pest control professionals in South Portland can get rid of them and keep them out of your home. Our rodent experts inspect your home inside and out to make sure mice aren’t hiding in the walls where they can start dangerous fires. Even one mouse in your house is a fire hazard. Call now to get rid of mice.