Key takeaways:

  • Mice chew constantly in order to keep their continuously growing front teeth worn down.

  • Mice can fit through openings as small as one-quarter of an inch wide, making it easy for them to enter homes.

  • Mice can chew through wood, plastic, vinyl, aluminum, and even improperly cured concrete.

  • Mice tend to avoid chewing through steel wool, although they may pull it out of sealed openings with their feet.

  • Mice sometimes chew electrical wiring while gnawing, which can create a fire hazard.

mouse chewing

Mice are persistent rodents with teeth that never stop growing, so they constantly gnaw to keep them worn down. This ability allows them to chew through a wide range of materials when searching for food or shelter. Learn what mice can chew through, what they typically avoid, and why chewing can cause damage to your home.

It's all about the teeth

 Mice have front incisors that never stop growing. Because of this, mice must constantly gnaw and chew in order to keep their teeth filed down. If not for this gnawing, their teeth would grow to a point where eventually they could no longer eat, resulting in death.

Small intruders

Mice can fit through an opening as small as one-quarter of an inch wide. That’s about the diameter of a dime. A good rule of thumb to use when trying to prevent mice from entering your home is the pencil trick. For example, if you can slide a pencil underneath the threshold of a door, that’s enough space for a mouse to get in.

Materials mice can chew through

The answer to "what can mice chew through," if they can’t enter a space through a hole or crack, is a long list of building materials. Just to mention a few, mice can chew their way through wood, plastic, vinyl and aluminum.

That said, you might be curious to know, "Can mice chew through concrete?" The answer is yes, but only if the concrete is not cured properly.

There is one material that mice tend to shy away from – steel wool. Can mice chew through steel wool? Yes, but they choose not to in most instances because a steel wool bundle has sharp edges that are abrasive to their nose. The problem is, oftentimes, they will grab the bundle with their feet and pull it out of a sealed opening.

Cause for concern: Chewed wires

 It’s a known fact that many house fires are caused by mice, because they sometimes chew on electrical wiring. Why do mice chew wires? In the process of gnawing things to keep their incisors whittled down, they inadvertently chew on wiring – causing the wires to short circuit.

Having mice as pets may be enjoyable for some, but if you’re having a problem with wild mice invading your home, call the mice control professionals at Terminix® for a solution.