I use an extension cord in a semi permanent application. The squirrels eat it. Is there a rodent proof "extension" cord out there? (I expect not.)
What about coating? I tried some sprays that supposedly repel dogs... no luck.
Any ideas? (Extension cord used to power the boy's tree house.)
Thanks. Any ideas welcome.
It might cost, but you can try using some of the flexable conduit. You would have to put at least one end on the conduit as it is only about
1/2 to 3/4 of an inch inside diameter.
Doh! Found this ... $34 It might work... but I wonder if aluminum is a match for my squirrels. It looks like I'd have to knife one end of the cord to fish it thru.
You really need to start thinking outside the box.
Why not make a squirrel proof extension cord from armoured cable?
Put an electrical connector, electrical box and duplex receptacle at one end of the cable, and fit a male plug as best you can to the other end of the cable. Alternatively, put another electrical box at the other end of the cable and have a piece of wire coming out of that box to a three prong plug.
Show me a squirrel that will gnaw through that and I'll show you a clear and present danger to the safety of your country.
The squirrels eat it. Is there a rodent proof "extension" cord out there? (I expect not.)
supposedly repel dogs... no luck.
boy's tree house.)
1) Power devices with nicads, or lawn mower battery that has to be roped up for good exercise for the boys. 2) Cut back on their power needs, and buy them slingshots and BB guns to stay amused 3) Rig a bicycle and alternator so they can pedal their own power 4) Everyone back in doors by sundown. If we can't see the tree house from here, you'd best be inside by then.
Someone out there must have a way of sending power through a wire, the utility companies do so every day. Why do the boys need 110 VAC house power? Watching DVD instead of watching animals and bugs and birds?
Just get a roll of MC cable. It is like that FMC but it already has a wet location wire in it. You can get a connector and a box for the receptacle end but I am not sure how you would put a plug on it. Maybe mount another box on the line end with a short pigtail to were you plug it in. If you are doing all of this, why not just hard wire it on the line end and make it part of the building wiring?
Split flexible tubing? Maybe they wouldn't chew on something of a larger diameter.
The squirrels in da hood around here can chew through aluminum flex and MC cable. I would have to pull the cord through galvanized steel flex to keep our squirrels at bay. I'm not sure because the squirrels in this area steal copper pipe out of unoccupied homes. ^_^
TDD
It wouldn't be an 'extension cord' but BX/AC would slow the little suckers down.
AC is not a wet location wiring method
Stormin Mormon Apr 19
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1) Power devices with nicads, or lawn mower battery that has to be roped up for good exercise for the boys. 2) Cut back on their power needs, and buy them slingshots and BB guns to stay amused 3) Rig a bicycle and alternator so they can pedal their own power 4) Everyone back in doors by sundown. If we can't see the tree house from here, you'd best be inside by then.Yah, well, the boys have 44's, drink and play cards. I don't want to pedal and deal at the same time. Besides, the fridge takes 1000 watts.
I don't want to pedal and deal at the same time. Besides, the fridge takes 1000 watts.
Please consider a propane tank for heating the tree house hot tub. Much cheaper in the long run.
sleevings will protect cables from cuts, scratches and other abrasions. Several types are available, including stainless steel, Nylon and Kevlar examples, but all feature woven designs that allow for flexibility while keeping cables, wires, and hoses free from damage, and most are expandable to allow for maximum versatility. We offer both side entry wrap-around and feed-through installation options. Metal Braided Sleeving - Our flexible tin-coated copper sleeving shields cables against electromagnetic and radio frequency interference while protecting them from abrasion and gnawing animals.
Protect extension cords by keeping them off of the floor, running them through PVC pipe and sealing the ends with duct tape or wrapping them in duct tape. Rats don't like the sticky glue on the tape and will not chew through it.
Physical Abilities of Rats and Mice To prevent rodent entry, their capabilities must be understood. For example, rats and mice can:
a.. run along or climb electrical wires, ropes, cables, vines, shrubs, and trees to gain entry to a building; b.. climb almost any rough vertical surface such as wood, brick, concrete, and weathered sheet metal; c.. crawl horizontally along pipes, augers, conveyors, and conduit; and d.. gnaw through a wide variety of materials, including aluminum sheeting, wood, rubber, vinyl, plastic, and concrete block. In addition, rats can:
a.. climb the outside of vertical pipes and conduit up to 3 inches in diameter, climb the outside of larger pipes attached to buildings by bracing themselves against a wall, and climb the inside of 1- to 4-inch vertical pipes; b.. jump up 36 inches vertically and 48 inches horizontally; c.. drop 50 feet without serious injury; d.. burrow straight down into the ground at least 36 inches; e.. reach up to 13 inches along vertical walls; and f.. swim half a mile in open water, dive through water traps in plumbing, and travel in sewer lines against a substantial current. The paired front teeth (incisors) of rats and mice curve slightly inward, making it difficult for them to gnaw on round surfaces larger than 7/8-inch, flat, or harder than iron (such as steel). Thus, when given a rough surface or an edge, they can quickly gnaw into most materials. Take special care to locate and secure all structural crevices. Rats only need slightly more than a -inch gap to enter; mice only need slightly more than a -inch gap (Figure 2). Don't ignore smaller crevices as rodent gnawing can quickly enlarge them.
a motivated squirrel jumbed 8 feet high off my porch and managed to go 25 feet before running away..
I opened my front door and he must ofbeen scared, ME/ I just had to go to work:(
replying to bob haller, Falcon wrote: I ran a private animal rescue/sanctuary for 18 years out of my house and garage which included rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, chinchillas, rats,... It was privately funded so I had to get very creative to be able to afford caring for as many as 42 animals. I tried the thin plastic cord protectors you can get at any hardware store, the kind with ridges all along it with a slit you fit the cord into. It stopped some animals but not the rabbits. Some of them were giants (literally, e.g. New Zealand Giant) and ate right through the protection as well. So I came up with an effective form of chewing prevention that not only worked; it was free for me at the time because I used something just lying in the yard ready to haul to the dump someday when I got a full load together. I had a number of cheap old hoses that I used. They were those cheap green rubber or plastic hoses that don't last very long as a hose because they spring leaks easily if you have decent water pressure. It took a lot of labor and a good amount of hand strength but they worked great as chew protectors even from my 8 pound giant. I used a pvc cutter to slice each hose open length-wise. Then I used something (can't remember what worked best - it was 15 yrs ago) to push the electric cord into the slit and cut the hose at the end of the cord. I was able to protect every cord in the house and garage at no cost because I had replaced all the old hoses so I had about 5 or 6 lying around, and never had another chew again. They did NOT like the taste or feel of those hoses so they left them alone. This would also be an effective way to keep water off of outdoor cables as well if you taped over the slit in the hose. Even if you don't have any old hoses lying around, you can buy them very cheap - the cheaper the better because the HD ones are too hard to cut and work with, and are overkill for this application.
If you are really having this kind of problem, make up a cord using MC cable.
Falcon posted for all of us...
No gerbils? Uncle Monster attention!
replying to oldyork90, mellowde wrote: Get some cats.
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