Bastard wire chewing squirrel...

[editor]

The little bushy fucker has trashed my outdoor fairy lights. Anyone got any tips on how to tell it to fuck off for good?

http://www.urban75.org/blog/the-bri...rrel-and-its-wire-chewing-antics-now-its-war/

 

[discokermit]

air rifle.

 

[Ax^]

replaced said cable with another with a higher current running thru it


wait for nature to take its course

 

[editor]

replaced said cable with another with a higher current running thru it


wait for nature to take its course

It's *solar* powered!

 

[Ax^]

It's *solar* powered!

well replace it with something thats not

 

[purenarcotic]

You can buy powders or sprays which are supposed to put them off coming near.

 

[Jon-of-arc]

Poisoned nuts.

 

[DotCommunist]

get a dog

 

[bi0boy]

Big bowl of peanuts and acorns, then it wouldn't bother eating plastic.

 

[xes]

Plastic cut out of a cat near the lights? Might be a deterrant, but squirrels are fucking clever little blighters, so good luck, this may well be a long running battle. (which you're going to loose, btw)

 

[Puddy_Tat]

CRACK SQUIRRELS IN VANDALISM RAMPAGE

more in tuesday's SLP

 

[fogbat]

Temporarily abandon your vegetarianism and eat it.

 

[editor]

Big bowl of peanuts and acorns, then it wouldn't bother eating plastic.

There was a big pile of peanuts already there that was supposed to be for the birds...

 

[gentlegreen]

When you repair it, be careful to get the polarity right ...

 

[gentlegreen]

They apparently don't like chili - perhaps you could make up an emulsion with PVA advesive ...

 

[2hats]

Plastic cut out of a cat

Real cat/cats?

eta ah balcony, several floors up. Metal braided sleeving, split wire loom or galvanized steel tubing to protect the wires (optionally powered off a car battery )?

 

[editor]

Thing is I don't want to frighten the birds way in the process...

 

[spitfire]

 

[Cid]

You have outdoor fairy lights?

 

[2hats]

Metal braided sleeving

Something like this?

 

[editor]

Thing is, the furry rat will still chew off the light elements, even if I did go for the somewhat overkill option of adding metal braid coverings...

 

[2hats]

Thing is, the furry rat will still chew off the light elements, even if I did go for the somewhat overkill option of adding metal braid coverings...

Get larger individual, self contained, solar powered lights?

 

[editor]

Get larger individual, self contained, solar powered lights?

View attachment 16835

How big do you think my balcony wall is?!

 

[2hats]

How big do you think my balcony wall is?!

Adapt them and hang them, put them on the floor, hang them from the base of the balcony above (if there is one)? Sometimes you have to compromise with wildlife, like people. Took me ages to train/gently persuade the badgers not to tear my compost bin apart. They still dig big holes in the garden and under the gates but I don't worry about that too much. Fortunately any electrical wiring is out of reach of them, though my squirrels aren't interested in it (they probably don't hang around too long due to the cat).

I guess you could (if you can be bothered) wrap the light elements in [slightly larger] metal braiding too (araladite them together perhaps) just carefully leaving the front lens exposed, of course.

 

[geminisnake]

well replace it with something thats not

This is pretty much what hubby suggested. Car battery + wire = zap. He also suggested the vandal anti climb paint but that might be a pig if you ever want to move the lights.
How long is the cable??

 

[discokermit]

Thing is I don't want to frighten the birds way in the process...

maybe the birds chewed the wire? i think you've been a bit quick to judge the squirrel.

i think this vendetta you plan to carry out is racist.

 

[High Voltage]

maybe the birds chewed the wire?

Despite what Roobarb and Custard may say, Birds have Beaks and Not Teeth

 

[discokermit]

Despite what Roobarb and Custard may say, Birds have Beaks and Not Teeth

so?



and picturefaillol!

 

[editor]

so?

Household birds aren't capable of cutting clean through wire.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Poisoned nuts.

Poisoned crack.