Did you know that rats have bulging eyes because of their jaw muscles? You may have heard of the term “eye-boggling” rat before, but it refers to the way a rat’s eyes seem to bulge out of their sockets, and can actually vibrate in and out when a rat is grinding its teeth. These bulging eyes are caused by the rat’s very powerful jaw muscles, which are anchored around the eye socket and run directly behind their eyeballs.
Rats need incredibly powerful jaw muscles because their incisors continuously grow throughout their lives. They actually have to gnaw on things all the time to wear them down so that they can fit in their mouths. Rats would be unable to close their mouths if they left their teeth to grow unchecked. Their teeth would actually grow into a spiral at a roughly 86 degree angle. This would make closing their mouths and eating impossible, eventually starving them to death. Rats aren’t picky when it comes to what they need to chew on to file their teeth down, settling for pretty much anything that is not harder than their teeth and would cause damage. They will chew on plastic, wood, cement, brick, asbestos, lead, aluminum, and cinder blocks, just to name a few.
Since they can chew through just about anything, keeping rats out of your home can seem like a daunting task. However, it is possible, and the biggest method of preventing an infestation is through simple sanitation. Making sure your home is clean, free of clutter, and removing any possible food or water sources goes a long way toward keeping your home free of rats. You always want to store any pantry items or pet food in glass or metal containers, and use a trash can with a tight-fitting cover. Keeping your home uncluttered eliminates possible hiding spots for rats to find. In your yard, you want to keep any shrubbery, wood, and compost piles away from the actual structure. Blocking off potential entry points is another step towards living without rats. Place metal screens over any opening to the outside such as over a chimney or dryer vents. Make sure door and window screens are in good shape and install door sweeps to guard against gaps under doors leading to the outside. Using a natural rodent repellent such as Fresh Cab – Botanical Rodent Repellent, which has essential oils it emits that smell good to humans but bad to rodents, will help further deter rats from entering your home.
Have you ever come across rats in your home?
