Do you have a rat problem in your house? The weird noise in the middle of the night and chewing bites on the household items confirm the rat’s presence. You must be worried and thinking, do rats chew on PEX pipes?
Yes. Rats do chew on PEX pipe. Rats are gnawing mammals. They must chew on things to prevent the front incisors from overgrowing. They can chew on almost everything, including plastic and soft metals, and PEX pipes are basically made of plastic and are malleable.
Continue reading the article to find more detail on the rats chewing your house water pipe or PEX pipe.
Do Rats Eat PEX?
Rats can chew through many things, including PEX. However, they do not do everything they chew.
Dr. Bobby Corrigan, a famous researcher and rodentologist from Newyork University, states that rats’ front incisors are stiffer than copper, platinum, iron, and aluminum.
If you measure the hardness of a rat’s incisors on the Mohs scale, it will be on rank 5.5, similar to the hardness of a 10-rank diamond.
Chewing on anything softer than its teeth is effortless for rats. Therefore, it is not difficult for a rat to chew through the PEX pipe.
Do Rats Like PEX?
PEX is a plastic substance manufactured from medium-density polyethylene, which is cross-linked. It is soft and vulnerable material and is commonly used for making water pipes.
It is softer than the rats’ incisors. Therefore, it can serve as a perfect chewing material for rats to enjoy.
If there is a rat infestation in the area, it will not be long enough for rats to chew through the entire PEX pipe system.
Rats are excellent climbers, so it is easy for rats to climb on building structures and reach the attic where most water pipelines run through.
They will find a perfect hiding spot and PEX pipes to chew on that will eventually supply them with clean water.
How Do I Stop Rats From Chewing My PEX Pipes?
Holes and chewing marks on PEX water pipes that lead to severe harm are common complaints among homeowners. It does not matter that your house is newly built.
If rats get access to it, they will chew all the pipes until you find a way to stop them.
Provide An Alternate Water Source
If you think there is a rat infestation in your home chewing on the water pipe, the initial step should be to provide them with an alternate water source. This idea might seem ridiculous as you do not want to be friends with wild rats.
You can place big water bowls near the water pipe in your attic or outside near the water pipe system. Easy access to water will prevent rats from chewing on the PEX pipes.
This method is most effective if you use poison to kill the rats. Because poison makes rats dehydrated, they will do anything at that moment to find water. They can even chew through the metal pipes.
Use Anti Rodent Tape.
To stop rats from chewing on the PEX pipe, wrap electrical insulation tape. This tape consists of Capsaicin which repels the rats.
Ras has a sharp smell sense. They will smell the electrical tape from feet away and would not come near your house.
Use Rat Traps Or Glue-boards
The most effective method of getting rid of rats under any circumstances is using rat traps or glue boards instead of rat poison.
Using traps or boards will get rid of pests instantly. It will save you from all the hassle of providing alternating water sources.
You can lure the rats towards a trap with food and water. Put food or water bowls in the attic or near water pipes. Place traps at least for three days and ensures all the traps are fifteen feet apart.
Seal The Holes
The essential step in getting rid of the rats’ invasion of your home is sealing the holes. Carefully inspect the exterior of your house, especially attics, because rats are good climbers.
If you find a void or crack in the walls, seal it immediately. Use a thick half-inch hardware metal cloth. To securely close the holes in the wall, pour cement over them.
If you find holes in the PEX pipe, fix them using a clamp connection system. It is a relatively simple process and will save you from replacing the entire system.
Keep The House Clean
Dirty and unkept homes are the favorite of rats. They provide them with multiple hiding spaces. The house with overgrown vegetation, bushes, and unkempt trees is the perfect hiding spaces for rats to burrow.
Often, they find a way to chew on the house exterior without getting caught.
Therefore, I recommend you keep your garden and house clean. Remove all the bushes and the tree branches growing towards your home.
It is better to remove the trees growing next to your house exterior.
Additionally, never place overflowing dust bins near your house. Nor store old furniture in attics without any rat poison or trap boards.
Why Do Rats Eat PEX?
Dehydrated rats can go to any length to find freshwater, especially those who have eaten poison. Because poison cause extreme dehydration in rats. Mainly rats chew PEX because they enjoy the texture.
They have constantly growing incisors that they need to file. Otherwise, the teeth will extend above their head, and they will not be able to eat anything.
To prevent that, it will chew through everything softer than the incisors.
Sometimes rats living inside homes chew on pipes to access the water. The rats prefer living near food and water sources and areas hidden from humans like attics or roofs.
Can Rats Live In Water Pipes?
Apart from being good climbers, rats are also good swimmers. Therefore, they can live in water pipes. It is common to find rats living in sewage pipes; rather than in freshwater pipes.
Rats are attracted to dirty places, and sewage lines are filthy. It is not uncommon for a rat to emerge from inside the toilet bowl.
However, rats only chew on PEX pipes to drink fresh water and enjoy chewing through the material.
Do Rats Chew On PEX Pipe Fittings?
Rats can chew on PEX as it is plastic and soft. They can chew through the entire PEX plumbing system.
Many posts online from concerned people tell us that rats will not let go of any opportunity of chewing on the PEX pipe. It caused many homeowners a leak inside the house and a lot of money to repair it.
Conclusion
Rats are not attracted to PEX, but they can chew through the PEX pipe and its fitting. They have constantly growing teeth to prevent incisors from overgrowing rats will chew on anything to file it.
Softer materials like plastic are a common target of rats.
Rats chewing on PEX pipes can cause many problems. One of which is massive leakage. To prevent such issues, follow all the tips mentioned above, and hopefully, you will get rid of rats chewing on your PEX pipe in no time.
However, do not make the mistake of placing poison without water bowls near pipes because it makes rats extremely dehydrated, and it will chew through the PEX pipe out of frustration.
References
- Control of Roof Rats in Fruit Trees