Expanded polystyrene has a structure that arouses curiosity among small inhabitants. They taste it on the tooth, but do not put it into the stomach. Rodents have developed front teeth from birth. This makes them uncomfortable to chew food. Mice are constantly looking for material to sharpen their teeth on.
Mice do not eat polystyrene foam because this material has no beneficial or nutritional properties. But they can beautify and insulate the hole. Mice also want to live in comfort. Scientists conducted experiments with hungry mice. They placed water and food next to the foam partition. Hungry small animals destroyed foam structures just to get to food.
Interesting! Zoological experts believe that stress throws mice off balance. By sharpening their teeth, they calm down. Rodents get nervous from constant noise and lack of free space.
Conclusion
How important is cleanliness?
Pests attack rooms that are rarely cleaned, where garbage constantly accumulates. They feed on food waste and, in such an environment, feel great. You can make a cozy nest in foam insulation.
Clean owners are not at risk of mouse infestation. If all food products in the house are stored in places inaccessible to rodents, then they have nothing to do there. Especially, the trash can should always be clean. You cannot leave trash for the second day. Then the gray bandits will not gnaw through the walls to get to the leftover food.
When cleaning, do not forget about the attic space. Here, in addition to old things, people often keep food. But this is not recommended. To maintain order, the attic should be clear of any items.
Important! If you notice one mouse in the house, you need to get rid of it. If this is not done, then after her, a whole flock of these mammals will appear. It's difficult to kick them out.
Video description
What mice don’t eat
At the same time, it is immediately important to know what materials mice definitely won’t chew, and then move on to considering the least likely and favorable for rodents.
Mineral wool
Both glass and basalt mineral wool can not only be chewed by mice, but also transformed into their burrow. The most popular is glass wool. It is not only durable, elastic, and allows oxygen to pass through well, but mice often breed in it. They won’t eat it, since the glass wool is quite prickly, but mice will make passages in it.
A roll of glass wool as insulation Source orlovstroy.ru
How to protect foam
If you think about protecting the foam in advance, it will last for a long time.
- No food is left on the table. Sealed containers are used to store products. Regular general cleaning of living quarters, attics and basements. Garbage and rubbish are immediately thrown away. Foam plastic will not be chewed by gray mice if it is installed correctly. Polyurethane foam is used to seal cracks. Expanded polystyrene is covered with putty. After this, the sheathing is applied. A fine metal mesh will prevent rodents from reaching the foam. The mesh is replaced with solid facing material or dense insulation. When laying a strip foundation, the form is filled with broken glass. Mice are also irritated by boric acid. When purchasing foam boards, choose polystyrene impregnated with rodenticide. You can also treat foam with this chemical to prevent mice from eating it. This composition works for a short time. The ultrasonic repeller produces sounds that voles cannot tolerate. It is safe for people and pets. Broken glass is mixed with concrete. This mixture is sprinkled over the holes and tunnels made by mice.
These measures will help protect the premises from the invasion of rats and mice.
Some useful facts
In fact, representatives of the mouse order do not feed on insulating building materials at all, since they are inedible. The goal of these small animals is to create a cozy nest for their offspring, and they achieve this in an accessible way - they gnaw holes. To better convey the essence of the problem, we bring to your attention a number of facts obtained as a result of many years of practical observations:
- The rodent invasion begins every year with the onset of cold weather. It is more convenient for a field mouse to get into a human home, where there is warmth and food, than to dig a hole in the ground.
- It does not matter what technology was used to build a private house and what building materials were used during construction. There are always multiple routes used by pests to get inside.
- Mice are able to climb vertical walls. This is how they get onto the roof and settle on the ceiling, where the maximum amount of heat accumulates.
- Rats are very rare guests in residential buildings. They prefer food warehouses, granaries and other similar structures. If they appear in the house, it means that you are located too close to the pigsty and the feed barn, where these dangerous rodents came from.
Reference. It is believed that rats are much smarter than mice and therefore more difficult to breed. But if you comply with all the requirements for the placement of buildings on the site, then most likely you will never encounter rats. True, compliance with the standards must also be required from neighbors who can put a shed next to your house.
What to do if the foam is already damaged
Pests often damage wall cladding. The owners notice this when they need to change it. What do enterprising people do in this case? – Replace damaged polystyrene foam boards with new ones. To prevent pests from entering the premises again, the necessary measures are taken.
When installing the base profile, there is no need to dismantle the slabs. Through a layer of reinforcing mesh, a rat cannot grab onto polystyrene or penoplex with its teeth. This material is extruded polystyrene. But this does not stop gray mammals. They can also damage the untreated extruded composition, like regular polystyrene. Only the metal mesh must have small holes, otherwise the animal will crawl through them. Effectively used to cover polystyrene foam, aluminum mesh.
Material properties
Penoplex is laid on a concrete screed after waterproofing with polyethylene or roofing felt.
The technical characteristics of penoplex make it attractive for use in the construction of low-rise structures and private and industrial construction:
- the most important thing is the reduced thermal conductivity index, its value of 0.03 W*m*0C can compete with any insulation and will remain a winner;
- increased resistance to transpiration (penetration) of moisture - only 2 cm of penoplex corresponds to roofing felt in terms of vapor permeability;
- Due to extrusion, the mass is homogeneous, so evenly distributed cells significantly increase its strength. Even under very high loads, its parameters are almost unchanged;
- high moisture resistance - liquid is absorbed only in places of cuts where the integrity of the cells is compromised;
- penoplex is not subject to rotting and decomposition, mold does not develop in it, which indicates the high biostability of this material.
Temperature conditions that allow the use of penoplex range from -50 to +75 degrees Celsius, but for each type of penoplex the temperature limits are indicated in the instructions.
You need to know: in order for the dimensions of the penoplex slabs to remain unchanged, the temperature specified in the product data sheet must be observed. If it is overheated, its characteristics may change.
What types of insulation do mice not eat?
When a house is built, thermal insulation is made to insulate the walls, floor and ceiling. Rodents chew through any insulation materials. They build their own corridors inside them. If a mouse penetrates the thermal insulation layer, it is almost impossible to drive it out. When choosing a material for insulation, its parameters are very carefully determined and processed. It must be resistant to rodents.
Important! Once inside the thermal insulation, the small animal brings food inside. It keeps her there for the dark days. Over time, indoor air deteriorates. Some individuals die and also remain inside the walls. This problem can only be solved by completely replacing the insulation board.
Foam concrete
The material is manufactured using a mechanical method. The mixture is stirred so that the bubbles are evenly distributed throughout the composition. The finished block does not rot and has the strength characteristic of stone. Due to high thermal indicators, heat accumulates.
Advantages: economical use of heating, humidity control. Creation of a favorable microclimate.
Can rats chew through this material?
In order to understand this issue, you need to determine the structure of foam concrete. It is lightweight, not very dense, so it is easy to install and process. The material is environmentally friendly and has the ability to absorb sound. This type of insulation is fire-resistant and inexpensive.
The slab has such a structure with high mechanical strength that rats cannot make their moves in it. Only with prolonged use of foam concrete do microcracks appear on it. But there is only enough space in them for small insects.
Expanded clay
High-temperature firing is used in the production of expanded clay. This type of insulation has a porous structure, smoothness and lightness. Due to its good thermal insulation characteristics and low cost, the demand for expanded clay is always high.
Why don’t pests settle in this insulation?
The raw materials used in the production of expanded clay are too tough for even seasoned rats. It consists of the following minerals:
- Crushed stone with sharp edges. Various types of concrete are made from it; Gravel. It can be oval or round in shape; Dropouts. Very good porous filler.
Expanded clay is not suitable for the construction of mouse nests and labyrinths. Rats don't want to be left without teeth. Even if they manage to chew through a layer of gravel, they will not be able to create a corridor inside the insulation. A nest built in expanded clay is uncomfortable. There is no air there.
Ecowool
Toothed pests do not tolerate antiseptics and fire retardants used to treat insulation. In addition, ecowool has:
- Good thermal insulation; High sound insulation; Environmental friendliness; Fire safety.
A seamless installation method is used. Fungus and rats do not appear in a house with such insulation. Ecowool causes thirst and suffocation in rats. Mice cannot live in this eco-friendly modern insulation. Orthoboric acid used in processing the material is harmful to their health.
Disadvantages: ecowool is difficult to install. If it is not laid correctly, it will settle.
Foam glass
This insulation has been around for many years. Its production began in the thirties of the last century. The good heat and sound insulation properties of the material became known later. This material has similar features to expanded clay.
Foam glass contains glass, so rodents are reluctant to live in houses with this insulation. Durable material is expensive, as it has excellent characteristics, high strength, and environmental friendliness. Its environment is not suitable for the development of fungi, microorganisms and insects. There is no microflora necessary for them.
According to scientists, ancient rats were among the first mammals. They appeared on earth before humans, but they look different. Their populations have now grown to huge numbers, making it more difficult for people to fight them.
Briefly about the main thing
In order to understand which insulation is not chewed by mice, it is important to consider its density, the presence of dust and the possibility of chewing by mice. For example, expanded clay will be quite difficult to chew through due to the fact that it has a structure like stone. But mice will quickly chew off the foam and make a lot of holes in it. Therefore, attention is paid specifically to the structure of the material. So ecowool and foam glass will protect the house from mice, because if pests start gnawing on such materials, they will get breathing problems. And they can easily turn any mineral wool into a home, although they won’t touch it.
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Conclusion
Unexpected guests can disturb the peace of the legitimate inhabitants of the house. Constantly feeling someone else's presence is unpleasant for everyone. Even if this alien is not visible behind the wall. Mice leave an unpleasant odor, noise, and infection. It is imperative to fight them. They chew through insulation panels and leave behind debris. The necessary measures are taken to protect the foam. Mice love to sharpen their teeth on it, build trenches and labyrinths. It is better to think about this right away, before building a house.
If you use more durable insulation materials instead of polystyrene, you can forget about their protection. For this purpose, the house is insulated with foam concrete, ecowool, expanded clay or foam glass. They have a composition that rodents do not like. You need to have iron teeth to gnaw through foam concrete or expanded clay. Rats would be better off finding other housing with foam insulation.
To keep pests away from your home, keep it clean and do a thorough cleaning every week. Basements and attics must also be properly maintained. It is better to take trash and unnecessary things out of the house so that mice do not make houses for themselves. If you prevent the appearance of unwanted guests, then you won’t have to worry about it.
Source
Taste preferences of rodents
Mice are considered omnivores. They destroy food supplies along with packaging and containers. Sharp teeth easily gnaw through wood, fabric, plastic, parquet, and foam.
A mouse needs about 6 g of food per day. Rodents have difficulty withstanding hunger, so mice eat everything. Expanded polystyrene is one of the types of foam plastic. Has a denser texture. Gnawing through such material is not difficult for rodents. It gets interesting whether mice eat extruded polystyrene foam.
Is it worth using EPS?
Mice and polyesterol
The use of non-natural materials is beneficial from an economic point of view. On the health side, it creates a not entirely favorable atmosphere in the room. It has been noticed that pests are less likely to grow in a room with an excess of plastic and other synthetic materials.
The likelihood of mice and rats entering the building is reduced from a theoretical point of view. You can use polystyrene foam to insulate your home. However, pests can chew through the polystyrene layer, make passages in it, and ruin the entire insulating structure. The appropriateness of using the material is questionable.
Important!
Mice do not eat polystyrene, but they can easily chew through the entrances and exits in it. Just one through hole is enough for the room to lose heat and let in heat. All efforts were wasted, money was wasted.
According to some reports, polystyrene foam and its derivatives do not affect the health and well-being of mice. Rodents successfully build nests in polystyrene foam materials, live, and reproduce. Others argue that EPS and mice are incompatible concepts. They can ruin everything, they won’t live there. Another question arises: is it possible to protect the polystyrene insulation layer from mice?
Penoplex Wall
Fire retardants are present in its composition, which means its resistance to combustion is increased.
They are used in the installation of vertical structures, insulation of facades, external and internal walls; insulation of the facade of a house with penoplex foam of this class is also allowed. But insulation occurs inside only when it is impossible to do this outside for some reason. This type is especially good for plastering walls.
For indoor work, use the thinnest slabs; the heat level will increase and work will be much easier
For indoor work, the thinnest slabs should be used, the heat level will increase, and the work will be much more
