Just ran into a nasty case of cable damage from squirrels in my area

Was checking out a service call for slow internet and traced it back to squirrel damage on the aerial drop. Whole section was shredded, lol. Seems like it's getting worse with all the new construction pushing them out. How often do you guys see this? What's your go-to fix for animal chews?

3 comments

3 Comments

umaprice1mo ago

Nah, I gotta push back on it getting worse because of construction. I mean, squirrels have always chewed stuff, it's what they do. Maybe we're just running more cables through their spaces now, so we see it more. Could be the type of coating on the wires these days is more tasty to them or something. I don't think pushing them out makes them chew more, they'd just go chew somewhere else. Honestly, it feels like the same old problem with a different excuse.

laura_carter1mo ago

But what if all the construction noise is stressing them out? @umaprice has a point about cables being everywhere, but constant loud sounds might make squirrels chew more from anxiety. I heard animals in noisy places can act out in strange ways. It's not just about new cables or better tasting coatings, it could be their reaction to the mess we're making. When their nests get wrecked, they might chew wires out of pure irritation, not just because they moved somewhere else.

caleb_walker61mo ago

Wait, @umaprice, I see what you're saying but I gotta disagree. If a squirrel's home gets torn up by construction, it's gonna be stressed and looking for a new spot. That stress makes them chew way more, it's not just moving somewhere else to do the same thing. We're literally putting them in a panic, and then we're surprised when they wreck our stuff. It's not an excuse, it's cause and effect.