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Denver Airport Overrun by Car-Eating Rabbits

Posted by samzenpus on from the night-of-the-lepus dept.

It turns out the soy-based wire covering on cars built after 2002 is irresistible to rodents. Nobody knows this better than those unlucky enough to park at DIA's Pikes Peak lot. The rabbits surrounding the area have been using the lot as an all-you-can-eat wiring buffet. Looks like it's time to break out The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.

6 of 278 comments (clear)

  1. !rodents by the_one_wesp · · Score: 5, Informative

    Rabbits are actually lagomorphs, not rodents. I realize that mice are mentioned as a problem too, but the number of references to rabbits as rodents is quite offensive.

  2. Rabbits chew wires regardless by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 4, Informative

    My stepdaughter had a pet rabbit (horrible pets, btw), and it used to love chewing on our computer wires. Had to patch/replace a number of peripherals over a short period of time. *I hates rabbits.*

    --
    Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    1. Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless by hawguy · · Score: 4, Informative

      Thing is: if the appliance isn't drawing power right then, they can chew through with impunity, and even if it *is* drawing power, as long as they only chew through one wire at a time they'll just get a quick shock when they cut that wire. And given how dry a rabbit's mouth is, and that it's cutting through with its non-conductive teeth, they might not even notice.

      That's not how electricity works -- the hot wire is hot regardless of whether or not the appliance is drawing power.

      There are 3 wires in your refrigerator's power cord -- the ground wire (which the rabbit can suck on all day with no ill effect), the neutral wire, which is bonded to the ground wire at the distribution panel, so it should be at the same potential as the ground wire in a properly wired house, and the third wire is the hot wire. This is the one with the juice and the one that will cause a shock regardless of whether or not the appliance is running or not.

      Of course, in an outlet controlled by a switch, the hot wire will not be energized if the switch is off (again assuming a properly wired house - some amateur electricians have been known to put the switch on the neutral side).

    2. Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless by smellsofbikes · · Score: 5, Informative

      Black is Neutral. The white ones are the hot ones (or red in 3-wire). Green or non-insulated for Ground. Unless a dipshit who doesn't follow code wired your house.

      Nope. Please to not ever be working on house wiring in the US, kthxby.

      --
      Nostalgia's not what it used to be.
  3. Florida Everglades has similar problem by xerx · · Score: 4, Informative
    In this case it is black vultures who eat the soft rubber door seals and whipper blades. One of the main tourist attractions near the south west entrance of the national park has a roust of them close to the parking lot. I have witnessed them tearing chunks of rubber from cars. At times there are dozens of birds in the parking lot and hundreds in nearby trees.

    http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/meals-on-wheels-vultures-in-everglades-feast-on-529072.html

  4. Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Simple solution:

    Leave an open pan of glycol antifreeze out for a chaser. :)

    If you have ever seen an animal die because they drank antifreeze that was left out/spilled, you wouldn't be saying this. (unless your just that heartless)