Have to give an estimate for muskrat trapping and wanted to offer an longer term solution. The customer has a fountain in the middle of a pond and the muskrats are chewing the wires. If I sleeved copper mesh around the cord would it corrode too quickly or is the most effective solution pvc?

Bob,
I think you would be better off with a metal duc as a longer term solution for the chewing

While I'm sure you have the skills I know my limits and refuse to touch anything eletrical.

That's the difference between me and David. He has lots of hair that could stand on end. Me, not so much.

That is absolutely a problem for those who install/wire fountains for a living. The dangers and liability of such a job are tremendous.

Easiest solution I have found is to run the fountain 24/7. rats use it as a float when shut off and that is when they chew wires. remove the floating fountain before winter. Eric

Easiest solution ?


Kill all the 'rats! (and get payed well to do so)

Hey LT, that's my kind of thinking. ( Probably because I get paid the same as you for muskrats. Our coats would be really expensive. )

They make power cables for those units that have a stainless steel mesh sleeve.....they are kinda pricy but it would be the most effective long term solution. I used to install those units and it was the only sure fire solution.

put a penny behind the fuse.........

We need to find out what the attractant is on the wires and bottle it. I have had muskrats travel across a huge parking lot to crawl into the engine bay of 3 cars to gnaw on the wires, disabling them.

I was told that the sheath on some wiring (GM products in particular) was made in part from a soybean derivative.

I don't know if that is true, but we have dealt with more GMs with squirrel, chipmunk, groundhog, muskrat, mice wire damage than any other brand.

Is this what you guys have experienced too?

I wouldn't think copper would corrode enough to cause a problem.
I've had problems with Squirrels chewing up the wiring on trailers. I think it's just a plastic thing, When I was a kid in school, we would chew the crap out of Bic Pen caps, they had a kind of sweet taste to the plastic, but would cause sores on the corners of your mouth.

Another way to go might be to buy some SS sheathed plastic water line used for ice makers, from a cheapo depot, and use that as a conduit for the wires. Not sure if will be big enough for the wires, but might work if you remove the plastic tube.