The Dangers of Pest and Animals in Plumbing and Pipes

Pest animals in your plumbing pipes are an unfortunately common problem. While your plumbing system might seem like a hidden, utilitarian, and somewhat unappealing part of your home, it can look like the perfect home to various pests and wildlife. From rodents like rats and mice to reptiles like snakes and lizards, your plumbing system may be an unregulated entrance to your house.

These critters are often drawn to the warmth, shelter, and potential food sources within, and, once inside, can cause a host of problems. If you’re dealing with a pest problem in your plumbing system (or suspect you might have one), Critter Control is here to help. We can help you safely, humanely, and effectively evict your unwanted guests to eliminate the string of problems they can cause for your home’s plumbing system.

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What Pests Get Into Your Plumbing?

Multiple pests may view your plumbing system as prime real estate, including:

• Rodents: Rodents, like rats and mice, often use cracks and holes in buildings’ foundations or walls to find shelter and resources such as warmth and food.
• Snakes: Snakes have a knack for maneuverability in spaces, especially within plumbing systems where sewer lines and vents are located.
• Iguanas (common in South Florida): If you live in the balmy climate of South Florida, you might find iguanas in your plumbing. Iguanas can slip into homes through pipe fittings or sewer connections to find cool spots to escape the unrelenting heat.
• Lizards and frogs: The compact size of lizards and frogs make for an easy squeeze into various openings in your home’s plumbing, often in search of water or damp habitats.

How Do Pests and Wildlife Access Your Plumbing?

These pests, including raccoons, rats, mice, snakes, and other unwanted houseguests, often access your home via vulnerabilities you might not even be aware of. Cracks in walls, broken vents, or uncovered drain pipes can all provide an easy access point for these critters.

While creeping inside a plumbing system might not sound overly appealing to you, these critters are often drawn to these areas for their warmth, food, water, or shelter opportunities. Your nice, cozy home, complete with plenty of food and water, sounds like prime real estate to these little critters, so if they can, they might sneak into your home through the plumbing.

Some animals, especially snakes, iguanas, lizards, and frogs, aren’t too worried about finding warmth inside your home. Instead, they might creep inside the plumbing to find a damp habitat or somewhere cool to wait out the heat, particularly in southern portions of the U.S.

Common Entry Points for Pests in Plumbing Systems

Pests in pipes often get there in one of three ways:

• The stack pipe: The stack pipe is a vertical pipe that serves to eliminate sewage and ventilate plumbing systems. Unfortunately, it also offers an access point for pests such as rats, mice, and snakes, who may sneak in through the opening. Rodents like rats and mice may climb up the pipes and shimmy in through the opening, gaining access to your home.
• The sewer pipe: The sewer line links your house to the city’s sewage system. It can be a pathway for rats and other pests, like snakes, to enter your home, often causing them to pop out in drains like sinks or toilets.
• Openings near pipes and drains: Little pests, like lizards and frogs, may sneak into your home through the gaps and openings near pipes or drainage areas that are not properly sealed.

The Damage Nuisance Wildlife & Rodents Cause to Plumbing

Pests in your plumbing aren’t a good thing. Once in there, they can cause all sorts of problems and wreak havoc on your plumbing system. Damage may include:

Reduced Water Flow and Blockages

One of the biggest problems with pests in plumbing stems from the blockages they cause. They may view those pipes as the perfect nesting place, choosing to drag debris in with them to craft their nests. Rats, iguanas, and frogs themselves can become blockages, too, leading to reduced water flow and expensive repairs.

Contamination from Droppings or Dead Animals

Unfortunately, if there are critters in your plumbing, there’s a good chance they defecate and urinate in there, too. Their droppings can contaminate water sources or pipes, depending on where they are in the system, posing serious health risks.

In the horrible event that they die in the system, their decomposing carcass can cause foul odors and potential contamination. Since they’re often out of sight, pinpointing where the awful odor is emanating from can be a challenge.

Damage Caused By Rodents in Pipes

Rodents, including rats and mice, can do a number on your plumbing system as they meander through it. They’re notorious for chewing through just about anything, which can include your pipes. So, if they come across a closed-off pipe without a convenient access point and smell food or water, they may chew right through the side of the pipe to wiggle into it.

Their teeth, while tiny, are surprisingly strong and sharp, allowing them to decimate sections of your plumbing. This can lead to all sorts of leaks in your plumbing system that, unfortunately, aren’t particularly small. The presence of leaks can open the door to other problems, including a confusingly high water bill, water damage, and mold and mildew growth.

Damages Caused by Nuisance Wildlife

While pests like raccoons and squirrels rarely sneak into plumbing systems, they may damage pipes located in attics or crawl spaces. Their habit of gnawing on pipes or creating nests near plumbing can lead to widespread damage and leaks, often causing the same problems mentioned above.

Identifying Signs of Animals in Your Plumbing

Determining whether you have an uninvited guest hanging out in your plumbing can be tricky. After all, these systems are typically closed, so save for slicing into or disconnecting part of the system to check, confirming their presence can be quite the feat.

Thankfully, animals in plumbing usually reveal their presence with a few telltale signs, including:

• Unusual noises: Scratching or scurrying sounds coming from walls or under floors can indicate the presence of animals in your plumbing or walls.
• Foul odors: The smell of urine, droppings, or even decaying animals emanating from your home’s plumbing, especially around pipes or vents, can be a clear sign that wildlife has entered your plumbing system.
• Visible signs: Finding nesting materials or animal droppings near drains, sinks, or around pipes is a strong indicator of pests hanging out in your plumbing system.

Prevention and Exclusion Strategies

Finding pests in your plumbing isn’t something any homeowner wants to deal with. So, to keep those unwelcome guests from taking up residence and causing problems in your home’s plumbing, you’ll need to prepare accordingly.

Pest control strategies include:

Professional Pest Control and Wildlife Removal

If you find pests in your home or plumbing, it’s best not to try to remove them yourself. These are wild animals, after all, and when they feel threatened, they can become unpredictable and dangerous. So, if you’re dealing with a severe or complex infestation, don’t hesitate to contact the professionals.

Our experienced wildlife technicians at Critter Control can help you get rid of the pests hanging out in your plumbing system. Our services are comprehensive, including trapping, humane removal, exclusion techniques, and sealing entry points. We’re here to help you get rid of the problem and prevent it from happening again.

Contact us today at 1-800-274-8837 or find an office near you to learn more about how we can help with your pest problem.