Edible Electrical Insulation

More likely to be squirrels, they are known to eat the electrical insulation if they get into a house.

According to a report on MSNBC it is rabbits -- though I wonder if 'rabbits' isn't a polite euphemism for 'rats'.

If they worked quickly and were sick, they could be RABID, RAPID RABBITS!

The reason you'd want to use soy bean insulation is because it's noncarcinogenic, completely fire retardant, mold resistant, insect resistant and 100 percent biodegradable among other things. It's approximately 2/3 more than your typical cellulose or fiberglass insulation, but many argue that the benefits from it (including the whole 'go green' campaign) are worth it.

? Huh ? "It's approximately 2/3 more than your typical cellulose or fiberglass insulation..."

Pray tell - 2/3 more WHAT? "All of the above...???"

Rabbits are rodents (like squirrels except with different tails) and they chew on any rubber or plastic insulation and the more abrasive the better. For one thing they use it to sharpen their incisors. Same holds true for mice, beavers, etc.

Rabbit's teeth grow constantly, therefore they have to keep chewing on things to wear them down as quickly as they are growing!

Rodents in general have teeth that constantly grow. It's where the 'dent' (as in dental meaning having to do with teeth) part of rodent came from.

They can also be pets too some people.

In the Australian outback it's cockatoos, the only way to stop them eating the insulation is make the OD so large they can't get a grip with their beaks.

Termites are also a major problem. ffej

But can they not add anti rodent anti termite chemicals to the soybean insulation to overcome the problem just as such chemicals are usually added to PVC/ XLPE cable outer sheaths to protect them against the rodent attacks.

BB Raina

Denver international has ANOTHER problem. WOW! Will it ever end?????

Could they add hot sauce to the soy insulation? A little habenaro and jalapeno juice?

Then I'd be guilty of chewing on insulation.

One guy takes his car to mechanic and the mechanic says the problem is the wires were chewed on by rodents. Whys the rabbit get the blame. Anybody see him do it. Oh since the bunny is out hopping around in plain site it must be them. Couldn't be some other rodent. One that's more likely to crawl up into the engine compartment.

Next they will be blaming worms for eating holes into the tires. It a round hole and I saw them on the ground around the car.

This guys just using the publicity to get the airport pay for the damage.

I have heard that "ski bunnies" will eat almost anything.

Does the soybean base mean copper thieves will be able to "recycle" without worry about toxic emissions created by burning of the insulation to strip the wire?

It's the emissions of the burning wire itself that is the problem also. Many years ago, on a hilly section of I-78 near New Smithsville, Pa. many cars were skidding off the highway. When a school bus went down a long embankment an investigation was started. The report, which took over a year to complete, stated that an electrical contractor, a mile or more away, was burning off insulation and the cupric oxide (chem people please correct me if necessary) was settling onto the highway surface, concrete. The next time it rained, the reaction created a slippery surface.

I ran into a similar experience at the Portland Oregon airport many years ago. A fellows car wouldn't start so he requested a jump. I connected up the cables, and when he tried to start it I noted flashes of light on the top of his engine. This was late at night so I got a flashlight and discovered that two (of four) of his spark plug wires had been chewed in half. I had to inform him that he wasn't going anywhere until he got new spark plug wires. I saw him the next day and he informed me that there was hair all over the top of his engine. We concluded that the field mice had made a meal out of his spark plug wires in the three weeks he had been gone.

More rodentia....

Bill

I don't know if the insulation is actually made from soy bean material, but I do know that rodents have been chewing on electrical wiring for ages. I've been working on cars for 13 years and rodents have been chewing on wiring since before I started.

I know that rodents need to chew on something to keep their teeth from growing too long. If they don't the teeth will grow too long and they will stab themselves. I learned this from a vet a long time ago. That may have something to do with the chewing of wiring. Also, wiring is easy to access in a vehicle for a small rodent. I have also seen them chew on other plastic things in an engine compartment or in the dash.