| Author |
Message |
N Cook
Guest
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 Posted:
Mon Nov 21, 2005 11:55 pm Post subject:
Distinguishing rat from squirrel damage |
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Damage in a loft to mains electric cable, some animal had chewed insulation
off.
How to distinguish gnaw marks of rats from squirrels ?
Some spoor-like material around, cream coloured cylinders, that look as
though they may be anti-rodent measures from a previous occupant - how to
tell if spoor or bait ?
Chewed up paper and plastic bags but that could be rats or sqirrels
presumably.
Why did this animal only choose to nibble the live 240 volt wire and not the
neurtral.
As its feet would be on insulated material it wouldn't get a shock as such
but do they get a "buzz" from this ? if they just like gnawing then they
would choose equally the live and neutral.
Obviously avoided the uninsulated earth wire as no dead critter thereabouts
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Don Bruder
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 22, 2005 12:12 am Post subject:
Re: Distinguishing rat from squirrel damage |
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In article <dlt1o2$imq$1@inews.gazeta.pl>, "N Cook" <diverse@tcp.co.uk>
wrote:
| Quote: | Damage in a loft to mains electric cable, some animal had chewed insulation
off.
How to distinguish gnaw marks of rats from squirrels ?
|
Without a microscope and *EXTENSIVE* knowledge of rodent dentition, your
chances of knowing which one actually did the chewing are somewhere
between slim and none, and I hear slim left town last week.
,
| Quote: | Some spoor-like material around, cream coloured cylinders
|
Could be either rat or squirrel. No help there.
| Quote: | Chewed up paper and plastic bags but that could be rats or sqirrels
presumably.
|
Or mice, or birds, or...
| Quote: | Why did this animal only choose to nibble the live 240 volt wire and not the
neurtral.
|
Why does *ANY* animal choose to do what it does? Answer that question,
and you've answered your own. But don't hold your breath...
| Quote: | As its feet would be on insulated material it wouldn't get a shock as such
but do they get a "buzz" from this ?
|
Hard to say.
| Quote: | if they just like gnawing then they
would choose equally the live and neutral.
|
It's not a question of "like" - Rodents *MUST* - If they don't
continuously wear their teeth down, pretty soon they'll be so long (and
usually curled around) that the owner will either die of starvation, or
from the festering sore that results from one or more teeth curling back
and penetrating the skull.
--
Don Bruder - dakidd@sonic.net - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info |
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John G
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:36 am Post subject:
Re: Distinguishing rat from squirrel damage |
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"N Cook" <diverse@tcp.co.uk> wrote in message
news:dlt1o2$imq$1@inews.gazeta.pl...
| Quote: | Damage in a loft to mains electric cable, some animal had chewed
insulation
off.
How to distinguish gnaw marks of rats from squirrels ?
Some spoor-like material around, cream coloured cylinders, that look
as
though they may be anti-rodent measures from a previous occupant - how
to
tell if spoor or bait ?
Chewed up paper and plastic bags but that could be rats or sqirrels
presumably.
Why did this animal only choose to nibble the live 240 volt wire and
not the
neurtral.
As its feet would be on insulated material it wouldn't get a shock as
such
but do they get a "buzz" from this ? if they just like gnawing then
they
would choose equally the live and neutral.
Obviously avoided the uninsulated earth wire as no dead critter
thereabouts
Would only be a rat in Australia, or maybe a possum. |
--
John G
Wot's Your Real Problem?
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Charles Schuler
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:36 am Post subject:
Re: Distinguishing rat from squirrel damage |
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| Quote: | How to distinguish gnaw marks of rats from squirrels ?
|
A forensic pathologist or a palenontologist or a zoologist or a biologist
could help, I suppose?
| Quote: | Some spoor-like material around, cream coloured cylinders, that look as
though they may be anti-rodent measures from a previous occupant - how to
tell if spoor or bait ?
|
A forensic pathologist or a palenontologist or a zoologist or a biologist
could help, I suppose?
| Quote: | Chewed up paper and plastic bags but that could be rats or sqirrels
presumably.
Why did this animal only choose to nibble the live 240 volt wire and not
the
neurtral.
|
The colors used to dye the insulation of the wires all have a unique smell
and taste.
| Quote: | As its feet would be on insulated material it wouldn't get a shock as
such
but do they get a "buzz" from this ? if they just like gnawing then they
would choose equally the live and neutral.
|
No shock unless their big mouths cross two wires at the same time. Not
likely.
| Quote: | Obviously avoided the uninsulated earth wire as no dead critter
thereabouts
|
They don't like copper but do love modern insulation materials. Ask any
farmer. |
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philo
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Nov 26, 2005 1:35 am Post subject:
Re: Distinguishing rat from squirrel damage |
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"N Cook" <diverse@tcp.co.uk> wrote in message
news:dlt1o2$imq$1@inews.gazeta.pl...
| Quote: | Damage in a loft to mains electric cable, some animal had chewed
insulation
off.
How to distinguish gnaw marks of rats from squirrels ?
|
<snip>
not too easy to tell by just looking at teeth marks
but it's more likely to be squirrels |
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N Cook
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Nov 26, 2005 9:35 am Post subject:
Re: Distinguishing rat from squirrel damage |
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"philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:tf-dnbGyb_rCAhreRVn-gw@athenet.net...
| Quote: |
"N Cook" <diverse@tcp.co.uk> wrote in message
news:dlt1o2$imq$1@inews.gazeta.pl...
Damage in a loft to mains electric cable, some animal had chewed
insulation
off.
How to distinguish gnaw marks of rats from squirrels ?
snip
not too easy to tell by just looking at teeth marks
but it's more likely to be squirrels
|
Assuming it is squirrels gaining entry through chewing through the eaves
ventillator plastic grill would they be able to gnaw through wire
chicken-mesh if laid inside or outside over this grill ? |
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philo
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Nov 27, 2005 1:35 am Post subject:
Re: Distinguishing rat from squirrel damage |
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<snip>
| Quote: |
Assuming it is squirrels gaining entry through chewing through the eaves
ventillator plastic grill would they be able to gnaw through wire
chicken-mesh if laid inside or outside over this grill ?
|
i had squirrels in my attic some years ago
and ended up *once i made sure none were still in the house*
sealing the holes with fairly thin sheet metal.
they never came in again
that was 15 years ago...
and i was rodent free until this year when my 19
year old cat got too old to hunt mice!!!! |
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Ken Taylor
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:35 am Post subject:
Re: Distinguishing rat from squirrel damage |
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"philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:-8udnfYOt9rIRBXeRVn-jg@athenet.net...
| Quote: |
snip
Assuming it is squirrels gaining entry through chewing through the eaves
ventillator plastic grill would they be able to gnaw through wire
chicken-mesh if laid inside or outside over this grill ?
i had squirrels in my attic some years ago
and ended up *once i made sure none were still in the house*
sealing the holes with fairly thin sheet metal.
they never came in again
that was 15 years ago...
and i was rodent free until this year when my 19
year old cat got too old to hunt mice!!!!
So was it the cat or the metal that kept the vermin out? |
Cheers.
Ken |
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philo
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:35 am Post subject:
Re: Distinguishing rat from squirrel damage |
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<snip>
| Quote: |
So was it the cat or the metal that kept the vermin out?
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definitely the metal...
my cat was only up on my roof one time...
and that was because i left a window open.
i never saw him catch anything larger than a mouse...
even in his good days...
though he did manage to keep even the largest of dogs out of the yard...
he had no influence on those darn squirrels ! |
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