What damage can squirrels do to electrics in the attic?

Chewing is just tiny part of a much bigger squirrel problem, but it's definitely not a part that you should overlook. Many property owners do not recognize damage to electrical items after nuisance wildlife invaders, and this can be a very serious risk to health all by itself.

If naked electrical cables come into contact with other materials, you'll have a very big fire hazard on your hands. There is probably a lot of flammable material up in your attic, insulation being just one of them, and if any of this were to come into contact with exposed electric wiring, the entire lot would go up in flames. It doesn't take long for a fire to spread in a building, and that can mean a life or death situation, especially if the fire starts at night, when the rest of the family are sleeping. 

Of course, there are other risks to think about other than a fire; exposed electrical wires are likely to mean certain electrical parts of your home won't work, such as lights or plug sockets. Your entire system could short-circuit, leaving you without lights, electricity at all, heating, etc. Appliances that have their wires chewed will no longer work. Lights may flicker. Plug sockets will just stop working for no reason at all, or work intermittently. 

If you've ever had to call out an emergency electrician in the middle of the night, you'll appreciate already how expensive those call-outs can be. Although, still not quite as expensive as it will be if your house burns down ...

We should probably mention a little thing called home or property owners insurance too; you might not be covered for the damage your family of squirrels have left behind for you. If you knew about the problem and ignored it, or didn't take active enough measures to get rid of it; technically, the damage is your fault and, therefore, your responsibility to rectify. If you had dealt with the problem when you first learned about it or dealt with it more effectively, you wouldn't have had (or might not have had) the extent of damage that you are currently faced with. 

Electrical wires are just one of the many things that you will need to check after a squirrel interloper. Plumbing might be nibble through, and this can cause leaks and floods, as well as rot and other types of water damage. If ignored, these can, once again, cause much more dire repercussions, including actual structural problems with the building. And, of course, it might not be covered by the insurance policy you have. 

Wooden areas or items, ducts and vents, screens, siding, fascias, brickwork ... The list of damaged areas caused by squirrels is endless, especially if they have been left to their own devices for long enough. It just isn't a problem that you'll want to ignore. Nor is it one that you'll want to go through endless ‘wrong' ways of solving it, either. Give professional wildlife rehabilitators a call — they'll know what to do and they'll have just the right tools for the job too.



Go back to the pestcontrolsquirrel.com home page.