Squirrels Took Out Our Internet

[dmccarty]

We once lost DSL and phone service when a squirrel built a nest in the phone box.

DSL and the phone went down a month or so ago but it sounds like someone in the office simply disconnected our service.

Later,
Dan

 

[jaydee325]

That's nuts...

Apparently, they like coax more than nuts. (LOL!!)

 

[lman]

Your house is only 2' from the road? That sounds horrible! (Sorry)

Our fiber optics line is not very deep from the road to the house. They used a walk-behind slicer trencher thing.

My driveway has a 5' diameter culvert that crosses a creek, and I was surprised that they "trenched" right through the 4"-6" stone that covers the culvert. There's no conduit or anything to protect the line. We'll see how that holds up.

They bored under a creek along the road here. I thought they would run it through conduit that was already attached to the bridge, but I guess their policy is to go under everything. They will even bore under small rivers. The boring machines are interesting on how they can control where the conduit needs to go.
My house is 500' from the road.

 

[oosik]

I'm a ham radio operator. I have a Colins radio that was used in military service. ALL the interior wiring is protected by braided shielding. The military knew about squirrels - ??? I think not - it's to prevent extraneous RF interference.

 

[ljjhouser]

I'm a ham radio operator. I have a Colins radio that was used in military service. ALL the interior wiring is protected by braided shielding. The military knew about squirrels - ??? I think not - it's to prevent extraneous RF interference.

They were a great radio - expensive. That would be a place I would not want to find a mouse at work. Wonder if Collins still makes amateur radios or when they stopped. And their linear amps.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Time to take out the squirrels.

Several times a year, one chews the lightning arrestor on the power line serving our development. It fries the little bugger and blows the line fuse in the process, causing a 2 to 6 hour power outage.

We have an abundance of squirrels in the area. My neighbors and I minimize the problem by using have a heart traps and releasing them into the nearby state game lands. Yes, their chances of survival aren't great but it's better than just shooting the critters.

Reducing the squirrel population has all but eliminated the problem perhaps by taking the strain off the available food supply.

 

[Chewwy]

Squirrels chewed thru the low voltage aluminum neutral line supplying our church creating a floating neutral condition. The floating neutral resulted in damage to several electronic power supplies as well as numerous led light fixtures.

Apparently squirrels like to chew on aluminum. The power company replaced the chewed portion with copper. Seems that squirrels don’t chew on copper.

 

[ponytug]

Squirrels chewed thru the low voltage aluminum neutral line supplying our church creating a floating neutral condition. The floating neutral resulted in damage to several electronic power supplies as well as numerous led light fixtures.

Apparently squirrels like to chew on aluminum. The power company replaced the chewed portion with copper. Seems that squirrels don’t chew on copper.

Yes, well, aluminum is inert and copper is toxic, so there is a certain Darwinian selection going on... I am glad that the fix worked. Floating neutrals are no fun.

All the best,

Peter

 

[PILOON]

My squirrel story.
Years back they chewed thru my cabin entry door corner so I installed a 10' high aluminum 'kick plate'.
The next week we came to the cabin and they had chewed thru the door frame.
Later, after I practiced the 3 S theory*, I had no more issues.

*shoot, shovel, shut up!

 

[ovrszd]

Squirrels are rats that can climb trees. I don't tolerate them near my buildings or equipment.