What Animal Chews Through Christmas Lights Outdoors

SQUIRRELS: The Scourge of Holiday Lights?

Updated October 2017.

I don't know about yous, only to me, ane of the biggest frustrations of the holiday flavor is rigging upwardly the lights exterior my home. After hauling the boxes out of the crawlspace in the garage, sifting through the mass of knotted, tangled wires – to then alter all the bulbs that don't seem to piece of work ("ane light goes out, they ALL exit" has got to be the worst technology idea since filling blimps with helium).

Then information technology is time to climb the rickety, worn-out ladder in sub-freezing temperatures, to staple the wires to my house at perilous heights. By then, I'm usually at the limit of homo patience. Now you add in the idea of a squirrel chewing through my cord of vacation spirit, and I am set to lose my mind.

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BUT WHAT CAN I DO???

Before looking at solutions, let's attempt to understand why squirrels chewed my Christmas lights. Rats, for example, chew wires because they appear to exist similar to a natural food source to them, (small branches roots, and grasses), simply squirrels have a very unlike menu. The common conventionalities now is that squirrels chew through the wires to go the lights. That's correct. Information technology has been documented on multiple occasions that squirrels see the pocket-size light bulbs as a potential food source, and chew through the wires then they can store their tiny drinking glass "nuts" for their future vacation meals. Of course, every bit soon as they do go around to chomping through a glass calorie-free bulb, their mistake volition exist realized, just by then it'due south much too late for you lot. By then y'all've already experienced the hair-pulling stress of having to replace and restring your outdoor lights. Or, if the worst occurs, yous've experienced a fire started by chewed electrical wires. That will ruin your holiday in no time.

There are a few common home remedies, merely they are all flawed:

"Spray your wires with pepper spray."

Spraying anything liquid on annihilation electrical is only a bad idea. Why invite more than opportunity for disaster? Also, in some cases, smells like this have been known to attract animals. Not really the desired issue.

"Wrap everything up in duct record or electrical record."

Sure, but information technology will but delay the chew through of your wires. Squirrels aren't easily deterred like that and will go on to harvest their footling glass nuts anyway.

"Identify some pesticide on your roof and in your gutters."

Never a good idea. Using materials to poison, an animal should be the absolute last resort and considered later all other options accept been exhausted. Also, placing toxic materials out can very easily have unintended consequences. Birds, raccoons, and all sorts of friendly critters can get into them, and that's not just dangerously irresponsible, in some cases, it'southward too against the police. Exit those kinds of applications to the certified professionals.

So what Tin can I do?

Like shooting fish in a barrel. Defer to the experts. Call the Wild fauna squad at Mod Pest Services, and allow Modern take the stress and the hassle off your plate. Modern tin safely and humanely remove wildlife like squirrels. Our team will release them into remote areas, where they can do what squirrels exercise without wrecking anyone's holiday plans. If more serious measures are needed, the Wildlife team has the noesis, specialized equipment and the ability to handle the issue safely and responsibly.

The holidays can be stressful enough without having to worry near the devastation of your decorations, or worse. Allow the Pro's handle information technology, be prophylactic, and Happy Holidays!