Critter (?) chewing foam around wiring on a/c unit outside

[jane032657]

Something undetermined has chewed up the black insulation over the wires on the A/C unit outside. It was replaced today by Munn's but they said it is a critter doing it so next time I will be charged. That is fair, but what is it and more importantly, how do I protect this? Have you put a fence around your A/C outside or what have you done if you have had a similar problem. Munn's said they saw some paw prints but there are no dogs there yet so maybe a racoon, a possum, but I think a small mouse or rat chewed the insulation. What would you do so it could not be destroyed? Not to be too graphic but there was also some sort of poops on the walkway not far from the A/C and they were bigger I think than rat's but I do not have a picture. Also we are not yet living there, my house watcher Charlene found it, The Village Sitter, amazing woman! 352 633 5062 if you ever want to be sure your house is totally inspected weekly!

[hotrodgirl]

Try soaking the tape in tobasco sauce or some sort of pepper sauce. Can't remember where I heard that, but worth a try!

[JSR22]

Try soaking the tape in tobasco sauce or some sort of pepper sauce. Can't remember where I heard that, but worth a try!

Jane,
If you want to try tabasco I have a bottle and would go to your house.

[Patty55]

Possum poop kind of looks like pencil pieces.

You can sometimes get rid of them by putting some sort of natural predator stuff. I had the groomer give me dog hair, hung the bag where the possum was, it seems to work.

[JSR22]

Possum poop kind of looks like pencil pieces.

You can sometimes get rid of them by putting some sort of natural predator stuff. I had the groomer give me dog hair, hung the bag where the possum was, it seems to work.

I have dog hair if you don't want to try tabasco.

[jane032657]

I am all for tabasco sauce and if you have time, by all means please coat the new foam in it. I expect when I am there with the dogs they may scare creatures off, but we do have rodents, racoons and gophers all right here at home in Seattle. Thank you for whenever you can do this, once again, I am appreciative!

[JSR22]

I am all for tabasco sauce and if you have time, by all means please coat the new foam in it. I expect when I am there with the dogs they may scare creatures off, but we do have rodents, racoons and gophers all right here at home. Thank you for whenever you can do this, once again, I am appreciative!

I will go tomorrow morning after our walk through. I will spread the tabasco quite heavily and bring some dog hair. See you in a couple of weeks.
JSR

[graciegirl]

I am all for tabasco sauce and if you have time, by all means please coat the new foam in it. I expect when I am there with the dogs they may scare creatures off, but we do have rodents, racoons and gophers all right here at home in Seattle. Thank you for whenever you can do this, once again, I am appreciative!


You Jane, have had MORE than your share of critters.

Enough now you dumb critters. She will leave us before she really joins us.

[jane032657]

What a great friend, thank you. Such big hearts in The Villages!!!

[JSR22]

What a great friend, thank you. Such big hearts in The Villages!!!

I love having a mission!:crap2:

[Carl in Tampa]

Quite possibly the culprit is a squirrel. Hot sauce might work but I wouldn't count on it.

I used to add a hot powder to the seed in my bird feeder in an ineffectual attempt to keep squirrels out of the feeder. I finally decided the squirrels must be Cajuns because they still gobbled up the seed.

If hot sauce doesn't do the job for you it is possible that you would want to buy a foam spray from Home Depot that hardens to the point that it requires a saw to cut through it.

The critter might still be able to gnaw away at it but you can make it so thick that it would be difficult to get to the wires.

[Patty55]

I've also heard moth balls.

[jane032657]

You Jane, have had MORE than your share of critters.

Enough now you dumb critters. She will leave us before she really joins us.

I think critters go hand in hand with our location, and I am willing to brainstorm to solve the problems because I love where we are going to be living. Nothing will keep us away, I just packed up two washrooms today, our house is almost finished and we leave a week Saturday. I think it will really help when the dogs are there, though the gopher holes in our backyard right now in Seattle may not prove that theory true.....

[bkcunningham1]

I agree with that it is most likely squirrels.

[rhood]

Are you sure it's not the weed trimmer?

[ducati1974]

As long as they're not chewing wires, don't sweat it about the insulation. it'll be fine with a foot or two not being insulated. If you look inside the AC you'll notice that the factory does not insulate that line (the suction line) either. A fairly minor issue. I've seen units that had tens of feet of the pipe not insulated.

[CaptJohn]

Are you sure it's not the weed trimmer?

That's a good point often overlooked.
I've used pepper but of course it gets washed away in the rain. Squirrels eat the lead around the vent pipes on my roof and one ate a lead battery terminal one time! You can tell by the teeth marks.

[jane032657]

Are you sure it's not the weed trimmer?

What do you mean the weed trimmer? Munns saw teeth marks in the black insulation. Do you mean a weed trimmer used by landscapers or is there a Florida critter called a weed trimmer? Confused. As usual.

[kentucky blue]

I agree with that it is most likely squirrels.

I had the same problem and serviceman asked if i ever see any rabbits in my yard.We had a rabbit that was around alot,initially thought it was cute,not so much anymore.

[senior citizen]

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[quirky3]

If you put D-Con out, just make sure your own pets don't have access to it

[jane032657]

Deans has placed a locked bait trap. It is not as I said unfamiliar to me to have critters-we live near the ocean in Seattle and it is rat haven along with racoons which have been in the house, moles that dig up the yard. It is the price to pay for living where you want to live, and the view trumps critters for me. I am just trying to learn how to deal with the ones in Florida. Deans saw the teeth marks in the chewed up insulation. I guess we can say nature is truly at our door,literally. The positive aspect is the view is magnificent and I have a pet blue heron in the trees outside our birdcage, the up close view of Lake Sumter is gorgeous and the birds flying around from the Live Oaks Park that we also look out onto are diverse and entertaining. Got to keep positive and deal with the issues as they arise! I really think the dogs will help once we are there, if they get off the couch long enough to notice.

[CaptJohn]

What do you mean the weed trimmer? Munns saw teeth marks in the black insulation. Do you mean a weed trimmer used by landscapers or is there a Florida critter called a weed trimmer? Confused. As usual.

The landscape weed string trimmer would damage it and might appear as claw/tooth marks.

[Shimpy]

Try soaking the tape in tobasco sauce or some sort of pepper sauce. Can't remember where I heard that, but worth a try!

I had a wonderful dog (Boxer) that loved to chew the carpet when he was under a year old. I tried putting cayenne pepper on that area and it didn't work. I put some on the palm of my hand and offered it to him and he loved it.
I've heard moth balls in that area may work.

[senior citizen]

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[mickey100]

We had a huge squirrel hanging on our lanai screen the other day. If we had stuff being chewed I'd be blaming it on squirrels. They can be very destructive.

[Barefoot]

We've found that mothballs work well as a deterrent for racoons, skunks and squirrels at our lake cabin in Canada. Unfortunately mothballs don't work for bears.

[entemedor]

Coyote urine will keep most critters away. You can buy the stuff off the 'net. Google for info and where to buy. Do NOT use it inside and wear rubber gloves when applying it to the areas you want to protect. It really, really, REALLY smells bad.

[senior citizen]

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[jane032657]

Just came home from a LONG day driving round trip from our home outside of Seattle to Portland Oregon to pick up a piece of STICKS furniture that I collect. Glad I am having a gin and tonic to relax as I read the above. Coyote urine, tabasco sauce, dog hair, rat bait, squirrels, rats coming through the toilet, running along the roof and electrical, ok Gracie, I am staying at my farmhouse in Woodway, WA with the moles and the ocean rats and the racoons and the coyotes...not! I am packing up aboout 16 cases of wine, sounds like I am going to need it. I am not brave. I will have nightmares tonight after reading all this, but I still love our place and will combat the forces of nature in order to enjoy my pet blue heron and other birds that will swoop over our yard. Stay tuned for stories once we move in. I promise to entertain you with stories from the marsh!