"Why do mice chew electrical wires?"

If they're anything like rats, they have to constantly

chew on anything and everything so that they can keep wearing down their front teeth that grow at a very fast rate.

They get a "CHARGE" out of it! Hehehe...

I am an electrician and have seen many instances of

mice in electrical enclosures and chewed up wires. One of the most common reasons they chew wires in an enclosure is because they are living there. Many electrical enclosures have open weep holes or open conduit knockouts and the mice climb in to have give birth or just get out of the cold. Since the wires are the only thing in there, might as well chew on them ! Still, I have seen alot of low voltage lighting wiring chewed up by mice.Since the wire just lays on the ground in some cases or just under landscep rock or chips its readily accessible. But why not just chew on twigs or something else near the wire? Some have said it is the slight warmth given off by the conductor from the current flowing through it. Others say its the right size for them to chew on. Still others believe the mice like the 60 Hertz "hum" around the wire. I don't think so because you would think they would be chewing up alot of wire then.