rodent proofing wires

ws9876

what can you get to wrap wires against rodent damage??? including car spark  plug wires...

BB.

It appears that some newer wiring has insulation made with soy bean/plant starches for insulation... And the small chewing creatures love it...

At least one major car company (Honda) has made an "overwrap" tape that is supposed to be rodent repelent to some degree (read the reviews):

https://www.amazon.com/Honda-4019-2317-Rodent-Tape/dp/B00AJTG3N0

Others have used the tape and/or sprayed petroleum based (waxy?) rust proofing on their wiring (may or may not be good for your insulation--your results may vary).

As well as the crystallized fox urine sprinkled around your car (not inside--for obvious reasons).

And, using metal conduit + boxes during the initial installation.

-Bill

Marc Kurth

I helped rewire an early 1940's home that had truly incredible rodent damage to the wiring. IMHO, they will chew on a very wide range of materials. Barriers or extermination are required! 

I live in a rural area so natural predators provide extermination services for me.

softdown

Rodent urine attracts more rodents. Infestations may follow. I just paid $1200 to rid a rental of a bad rat problem in the attic. Other company wanted $1800.

"I appears that some newer wiring has insulation made with soy bean/plant starches for insulation... And the small chewing creatures love it..."    Green ideas are not always good ideas. We finally get to see a typo by BB. All that praise may have made him complacent?

I think squirrels may be the worst. Though forest dwells like Horsefly may have some marmot stories. Marmots are somewhat likely to be related to squirrels...

BB.

Took two minutes to find the typo.

Spell check said I was ok.

Bill

littleharbor2

Or is it spel check?

peakbaggger

Not many options except exclusion of the rodents from the wiring. If they can get at the wiring and are predisposed to gnaw on it, they will gnaw on it. Long ago, some PV panels could be purchased with conduit knockouts so they could be hard piped but in the quest to reduce prices and speed installation, I don't think they are currently available and if they are I expect its big premium to buy and install. Thus it comes down to attaching screening under along the sides of the panels attached to the underlying roofing. Difficult but possible with asphalt but I have no idea how someone would do to a tile roof. Outside the exclusion zone, metallic conduit.

Note, its not just rodents, on New Zealand's south island they have mountain parrots called Kea's. The juveniles gang up into groups and love to destroy stuff. I was there several years ago and saw discussion on how to Kea proof PV installations. They are big birds with strong beaks and they can rip window molding out of car.  

mcgivor

My generator was infested with rats, solution mash up chilies, the hotter the better, mix with water, filter and spray all areas where they are likely go. Their sence of smell gets the better of them, pepper spray would have the same effect, but as I grow chilies it's a cheap alternative. In other areas the glue trap works in elimination, this unfortunate fella was trapped as I was typing this, I'm 100 % honest, heard the squeals and tasting around, weird  coincidence..

BB.

The chilies may also attract animals. From what I have read, people have been known try to bear proof their camp setup and put "bear spray" on their stuff (ropes, etc.) (bear spray is the pepper oil) capsicum and bears have been known to enjoy the spice.

-Bill

mcgivor

Thankfully we do not have bears, but there are plenty of snakes, which feed on rodents, unfortunately I have dogs which are very efficient snake killers, cobras, vipers,  banded kraits and other non venomous snakes, are no match for them, so rodents are still a problem and somehow they love to chew on wiring, that's where the chilies actually works.

jonr

I tried mouse poison and it was a disaster (it attracted them, but they were smart enough to not eat it).    I switched to dryer softening sheets and they worked well (in sealed areas).

mcgivor

Using poison is not a solution if there are dogs or cats, secondary poisoning can lead to a very slow death for the animals you actually enjoy having around. 

mcgivor

Dryer softening sheets? Do you actually want to use them with what you wear, or merely use then for killing rodents, I'd choose the latter.

Aguarancher

It seems like every year I get an infestation of one type of critter or another. About 8 years ago it was rats. I literally had them chew through my walls. I live in a 90 yr. old house that has open framing up from the foundation all the way to the roof so they had access to the walls..anyway I was so frustrated that I decided to use rat bait..it worked but they died in the wall and the smell was disgusting to say the least. So no more rat bait ever and only use mechanical traps these days. I have a friend who had their cars wiring chewed through and now use an ultra sonic device left on under their car, it seems to work for them as they haven’t had any further trouble.

BB.

There is an Internet article for everything. And they usually say the exact opposite from each other.   :

https://www.hunker.com/13414928/how-to-eliminate-rats-with-bounce-fabric-softener-sheets

Bounce dryer sheets emit a smell that rats and other rodents find very unpleasant. If you have a rat problem in or around your house, use Bounce dryer sheets to keep them away. This is a humane alternative to traps or poison, both of which will kill the rats. Bounce dryer sheets will cause no permanent harm to rats, but will repel them.
...
Replace the Bounce dryer sheets with fresh ones every week.

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/dryer-sheets-dont-deter-mice

Myth:

The Internet is rife with testimonials extolling the olfactory power of fabric softener sheets to keep mice out of the house.

Reality: "Some smells repel mice for a short period of time, like cigarette smoke and certain colognes," says Ron Harrison of Orkin Pest Control in Atlanta. "But mice are extremely curious. A strange odor isn't going to keep them away when they're looking for food or a place to nest."

Bottom Line: Don't expect your box of Bounce to work any pest-control miracles. But baited traps won't solve a mouse problem, either. "Mice are attracted to spots where light comes through, so if you see a gap where they're entering, stuff it with steel wool or copper mesh so they can't gnaw their way through, then caulk over it so no light can penetrate," Harrison says. Holes larger than an inch should be sealed with drywall or another suitable material instead.

-Bill

Estragon

I use a bucket with a couple inches of water. An empty pop bottle with a hole in the middle of the bottom and top, with a clothes hanger wire through the holes. That goes across the top of the bucket with peanut butter smeared on the bottle. A 3' board for a ramp from the floor to the rim of the bucket to near the bottle assy.

The mice smell the peanut butter, go up the ramp, and when they go on the bottle to eat the peanut butter, the bottle spins and they fall into the water. In the morning, I chuck the water along with victim(s) in the bush. No poison, no need to handle the critter. Works well for me.

jonr

If there is any doubt that animals really don't like certain smells, I provide this true story.     I had a problems with raccoons sleeping in a boat (was a real problem in the spring when I found one hiding *after* I took the boat out).    So I put moth balls inside.   In the spring, something had neatly moved the mothballs to just outside the boat.

Other advice - don't take advice about pest control from Orkin.   They really want you to a) use them, and b) have an ongoing problem.

Mangas

We depend on our two Ringtails. Mice, squirrels and rodents don't stand a chance.  Fun to have around watching their nightly and dawn antics running around outside chasing the chewables.  Really smart critters who keep us laughing.

Don't use food as there are bears and lions on the ranch.

Building the off grid system, I asked the installers to put all wiring in the solar mechanical building in metal conduit to be sure.

Dave Angelini

Just standard cats here, but I think I might like a ringtail if they would all play together.
When we were new at this we tried the Cumadin poison and watched it kill the mice, then the snake who ate the mouse, up to an eagle.
That was a long time ago but it still bothers me. Everything is built tight and our three cats bring us anything that moves up to a rabbit.
Extra treats for Gophers on our farm.

Mangas

Sure they'd romp around together Dave!  "Miner's Cats" as they were once known are very social. They're not from the cat family genus though.

By the way, Wildlands Fire Teams were on the ranch a few days ago. Lightning strike. Looks like plenty to go around this year but nothing like you went through.

Glad you're Ok.

Ralph Day

McGivor, was that a fragrant, yummy fish head to bait the rat sticky trap?  

mcgivor

Yeah, smelly fish heads seem to be their favorite got another 3 last night, all females so the future population has taken a hit.........for now.