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How To Keep Rats From Eating My Cables?
An anonymous reader writes "I am curious to know what vermin prevention/eradication methods are used in other locations. I am working at a dealership and we have an exterminator man who puts out glue traps and bait stations, but they still come and eat my cable. The latest was a couple of fiber runs — very expensive. I have threatened my boss with a cat for the server room (my office), going so far as to cruise the local Humane Society's website and eye-balling a nice Ragdoll-Siamese mix. Even if I do feel like dealing with a litter box, cat hair in the equipment and pouncings on my keyboards (and I'm not sure I do), that only covers the server room. We have multiple buildings on the campus which get locked up to prevent theft, but it isn't secure enough to keep out the critters and the latest chew spot was in the ceiling. Any ideas?"
... oh wait
Cats have been used widely to get rid of rats and mice since the beginning of time. perhaps you should get some of those ?
Getting a cat to protect your Cat5 cable?
The society for a thought-free internet welcomes you.
... and actually think about the reasons and causalities, instead of just fixing symptoms in the best style of medical doctors?
Why are they there in the first place? And why aren't they somewhere else, like in your home, or in my home, etc?
Rats, like all animals, need two things most of all: Food and shelter.
And apparently, your buildings are the best thing they can find. This can be, because your buildings
got a good food source.
have easily accessible holes that protect from the weather and predators.
have better shelter than elsewhere.
have less predators than elsewhere.
have less dangers than elsewhere.
are less crowded than elsewhere.
etc.
Make a checklist, and work off those things.
Make it as uncomfortable for rats as possible.
No food. Predators and dangers all around.
No way to hide or protect.
And much concurrency from other stuff.
They will go elsewhere, as soon as it is better there, and easy to get there.
It sounds hard, because doing something properly usually is.
Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.