If you live in a stormy or cataclysmic area, then you know how important it is to have a plan – an escape route, a first aid kit, a survival backpack, and anything else you might need to get by when push comes to shove. A few weeks ago a nasty storm hit our area, knocked over some power lines, and took the transformers with them. This left us and our neighbors without power for the better part of two weeks. Once the dust settled and we recovered, it was time to invest in a backup generator.

The Perfect Plan B

There are loads of generators to choose from, with as many makes and models and your local car dealership. It used to be just a pull chord engine you’d plug the necessities into like the fridge and stove. Now you can plug your whole house into one if you need to. The choices are far beyond what is expected. The man at the store helped me wade through all the options, weeding out all the unnecessarily bulky models and the ones too small to power the house.

After all the work, we finally found what we needed. Now we just had to find out how to get it home and hooked up. No amount of do-it-yourself material was going to help me here. I needed a professional. The man at the store gave a good recommendation and just like that the project was underway.

In a nutshell, generators have come a long way. Having a professional doing the job is an absolute must; most of the terminology was foreign and there were wires everywhere. But after a day or two the job was done, and the generator sits nicely in the backyard, waiting for bad weather to strike again. We’ll be ready this time.

Rats and mice are quite common house pests; once they find your home to be a safe place to live in and that there are different sources of food there, they will be reluctant to leave. Not only do they pose a health hazard, they also tend to cause a lot of damage to various features on your property and will chew through the insulation of your electrical wiring.

This can affect the system and impact the supply of electricity throughout your property and can be a fire hazard as well. Here are some effective tips to prevent rodent damage to the electrical wiring in your home:

Since rodents are nocturnal creatures, you won’t really see them running around your home in the daytime. However, if you are wary, you will surely hear scratching and chewing sounds in the walls of your homes. You may also hear scurrying noises coming from the attic. You should look out for nesting material or droppings and will typically find these in enclosed spaces.

It’s important to check the wiring’s insulation with regularity to ensure that it’s intact and that it hasn’t been chewed by rodents. The unfortunate part is that this isn’t something you can do for wiring behind walls. However, if you are undertaking any repairs, renovation or upgrades, take that as an opportunity to check the wiring for signs of rodent damage.

If you notice any flickering or experience power fluctuation in a certain room or part of the house, or if you find that a certain circuit breaker keeps tripping for no specific reason, get the system checked for rodent damage.

If you notice any signs of a rodent infestation, it’s important that you act without delay and take some steps to get rid of them. Buy some spring traps and rat poison from your local hardware store and set these at different places where you have seen rat droppings or heard noises. Even as you do this, it’s equally important that you also identify where these pests are entering your property from. Place the bait or poison at these points along your home’s exterior walls.

If you find the infestation to be too severe or if you aren’t too confident about using DIY rodent control measures, call a licensed electrician to inspect the wiring and check it thoroughly for damage. If they confirm that the damage has been caused by rats, it’s a good idea to call pest control professionals to handle the rodent control for you. They will provide solutions and give you advice on the steps you can take to prevent these pests from entering your property.

While the rodent control professionals will ensure that the rats are eliminated from your property, they will also advise you on how to seal all the possible rodent entry points in your home. Aside from very evident points such as doors and open windows, these pests can easily squeeze their way into the indoor spaces of your property through holes and large cracks. If the cracks are too small, they won’t shy from chewing their way in through the loose concrete of the walls.