There is nothing as inconvenient as having an unwanted Roswell rodent living in your house. Apart from the noise, the smell and the dangers to your health, they can also cause major property damage. One of the most common rodents that is found in homes across the world, is the rat. The name alone brings to mind, large rodents with oversized teeth. These teeth are where your largest problem lies.



The teeth of a rat
A Georgia rat has four long, sharp front teeth, two at the top and two at the bottom. The teeth of a rat are highly adapted for gnawing, both the front incisors and the molars at the back. Rats have 12 molars at the back that are used for grinding food before swallowing it.

The front teeth of a Roswell rat are open rooted, this means that they never stop growing, this explains the size of the teeth that you see. The molars at the back are not replaced when they fall out and a rat only has one set during their lifetime.

The incisors are designed like chisels, the enamel on the outside is hard and they will be worn down as the rat gets older. As they continue to grow, the rat will continuously be on the lookout for a way to keep them shorter. They can grow up to 13cm per year.

What can a rat chew through?
Knowing the size of a Roswell rat’s teeth doesn’t diminish the shock factor of what they are actually able to chew through. Some examples include:
- Brick
- Asbestos
- Wood
- 10 cm thick concrete
- 2mm thick metal
- Electrical cable
- Water pipes
- Aluminium
- Plastic
- Glass
- Lead

When you take into account that all of the above-mentioned materials are the things that we use in our homes, it seems nearly impossible to find something that they can’t chew through. There are, however, materials that rats cannot chew through.

What can’t they chew through?
Rats cannot chew through thick concrete, so make sure that the concrete in your home is solid.
- Stone. It is impossible for a Georgia rat to eat rock, even with their strong teeth, it is a safe option to use in your home.
- Steel. Even though rats can chew through softer metals like aluminium, a stronger metal, like steel is safe from the critters.

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