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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.

41 of 278 comments (clear)

  1. Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Funny

    I played bass with a drummer that lived far out in the country a few years ago. He was having problems with his brand new Matrix car and when we popped the hood, the spark plug cables leading to the distributor caps were gone. Completely.

    Someone was playing a prank on him and I asked him if anyone in his family wanted him stationary for some reason recently. Or perhaps he had upset a neighbor by playing drums late into the night?

    No, he told me, groundhogs stole into his garage and crawled up around the engine manifold and ate the cables. Now that was some Car Talk quality humor. I took him to a salvage yard to pick up used cables on the cheap -- the whole way there he described in great detail a groundhog leaving his garage with cables in tow. I figured he was playing quite the elaborate joke, had done something to the wires himself and was embarrassed to admit it or perhaps took more than just tea when he played drums.

    Guess I owe him an apology.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology by couchslug · · Score: 3, Funny

      Simple solution:

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

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
    2. Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 2, Funny

      Wow, thanks, you finally figured it out. Now, which car would you buy him?

      According to the article, anything made before 2002.

    3. Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 5, Funny

      The old bacon-cheeseburger insulated wires were an even bigger problem.

      --
      It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
    4. Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 4, Funny

      The old bacon-cheeseburger insulated wires were an even bigger problem.

      Except the problem there was cats with bad grammar.

    5. Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology by JustOK · · Score: 4, Funny

      LOL. I can haz catalytic converter?

      --
      rewriting history since 2109
    6. 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)

    7. Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology by drunkennewfiemidget · · Score: 2

      I love you guys.

    8. Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology by demonlapin · · Score: 4, Interesting

      If your pet's drinking antifreeze out of my driveway, you're violating the leash laws. Keep your pet under control and off my property.

    9. Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology by LateArthurDent · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'm being as merciful as Nature, which kills the vast majority of life forms. Nature is far more ruthless than any human.

      Right, which is typically why we strive to do better than nature.

    10. Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology by minorproblem · · Score: 3, Interesting

      And this is why when we design substations most clients specify steel or brass wire Armour. If you leave a wire sitting there for long enough, something will try and chew through it. We actually had to stop installing Steel wire Armour cables laced with Peppers as they where causing OH&S issues. The cables in Questions weigh about 80kg per meter and so the blokes who where working on them would get quite sweaty while them and their apprentices held them in place and prepared them for termination. And then when they went to wipe the sweat off there face half way through preparing the cable for termination they would get pepper in their eyes. There are some nasty little critters for eating cable in the desert of Western Australia. These days if its an area known for having really bad termite problems, we will go for double brass Armour.

    11. Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology by treeves · · Score: 4, Funny

      And if your pet rabbit is at the airport, please come get it.
      Thanks,
      Denver International Airport

      --
      ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
  2. Dear Tires: by halfEvilTech · · Score: 5, Funny

    Death awaits you all big nasty pointy teeth.

    1. Re:Dear Tires: by bev_tech_rob · · Score: 2, Funny

      It IS the rabbit!!!

      --
      You're messin' with my Zen Thing, man.....
  3. !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.

    1. Re:!rodents by interkin3tic · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well what else can you expect from humans? Honestly, marsupials can be so species-centric sometimes.

    2. Re:!rodents by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Offensive!?! What are you? One of those dirty Lagomorphiles?

    3. Re:!rodents by couchslug · · Score: 5, Funny

      "but the number of references to rabbits as rodents is quite offensive."

      I'd have posted a similar comment, but got stuck getting out of my fursuit.

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
    4. Re:!rodents by Tetsujin · · Score: 4, Funny

      Rabbits are actually lagomorphs, not rodents.

      Who knew that Sam & Max would turn out to be so educational?

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    5. Re:!rodents by celticryan · · Score: 2, 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.

      But they are both Glires, so call it a wash.

    6. Re:!rodents by roman_mir · · Score: 2, Funny

      wassup Doc? You tell'em, doc!

      --
      You can't handle the truth.
    7. Re:!rodents by bendytendril · · Score: 2, Informative

      I didn't know that. Thanks. I looked up lagomorphs on wikipedia and found that one of the differentiating characteristics bewteen lagomorphs and rodents is that lagomorphs have their scrotum in front of their penis. I guess that helps with hopping :)

      --
      sig: pv qid
  4. 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 BlackSnake112 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      If you let them chew on a cable or wire with a little but of current running through it, the rabbit usually stops chewing on wires. Our family had rabbits as pets for a while. One of them liked to chew wires. He chewed the lamp wires. After the shock, he stopped chewing on the wires. The rabbit was alive (he lived another 9 years). His whiskers were a bit singed and shorter. We did have to replace every lamp cord he got to.

    2. Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless by Tetsujin · · Score: 2, Insightful

      My stepdaughter had a pet rabbit (horrible pets, btw), and it used to love chewing on our computer wires.

      Horrible pets? How can you say that? They're such sweet animals... They're very affectionate and playful and clean, and chewing things is just about the only kind of mischief they get into...

      The trick with the wires is to bunny-proof spaces where the rabbits will be out. Make the cords inaccessible.

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    3. Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless by Kenshin · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Furthermore, one of them once got behind the fridge and chewed through its power cable. There was a loud bang, and a bright flash... and the rabbit was 100% fine. (Plus, it seemed rather unconcerned.)

      I swear, those things are impervious to electricity.

      --

      Does it make you happy you're so strange?

    4. Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless by smellsofbikes · · Score: 4, Interesting

      If you let them chew on a cable or wire with a little but of current running through it, the rabbit usually stops chewing on wires. Our family had rabbits as pets for a while. One of them liked to chew wires. He chewed the lamp wires. After the shock, he stopped chewing on the wires. The rabbit was alive (he lived another 9 years). His whiskers were a bit singed and shorter. We did have to replace every lamp cord he got to.

      I've had a different experience. My aunt's rabbit chewed through her refrigerator power cable twice, and one of my rabbits, before she was no longer allowed to roam the house, chewed every cable off the back of a computer (all low-current save the power cable) on two occasions. 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. This particular rabbit is smart enough to know the meaning of the word "no" and run over to me when I call her name (which my other rabbit is either too stupid or too uninterested in humans to do) so it's not like she's too dumb to learn about getting shocked. I think she just didn't care or didn't notice, or that she didn't get shocked, since she continued chewing on cords subsequently. Wrapping the cables in split looming that had been sprayed with cayenne pepper did discourage them.

      Even weirder, I had a squirrel nest in my workshop wall, and when I realized it and evicted them, I tore off the siding to see what damage they'd done. They'd stripped all the outer insulation off the romex in the walls, eaten all the paper that lines the bare ground wire, and eaten all the insulation off the white return line, but the black live line only had a few nicks in the insulation, so either the black vinyl doesn't taste good or squirrels are smarter than rabbits. Of course, they had to live in physical contact with the wires, while the rabbits were just chewing on them occasionally. But with that said, I'm betting squirrels are smarter than rabbits.

      As for the article itself, it's not just the DIA parking lot. My girlfriend's work car, a PT Cruiser, had most of the engine wiring eaten by rats while sitting overnight at her workplace in downtown Denver, while they completely ignored her (pre-2002) Subaru. It was startlingly expensive to get that car rewired, and apparently it was by no means just the spark plug wiring.

      --
      Nostalgia's not what it used to be.
    5. Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless by Low+Ranked+Craig · · Score: 2, Funny

      Better with Po-Tay-Toes

      --
      I still cannot find the droids I am looking for...
    6. 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).

    7. Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless by AmishElvis · · Score: 2, Funny

      sounds wascally

    8. Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless by davidbrit2 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      My stepdaughter had a pet rabbit (horrible pets, btw)...

      I wouldn't go that far. They are horrible pets for children, simply because of stark personality incompatibilities, but I have two rabbits that are both extremely friendly. A lot of people think they're just getting a cat with long ears, when in fact the differences are much deeper. Rabbits are definitely higher maintenance, as they tend to be somewhat messy, and can develop destructive habits (digging, chewing) if not supervised closely and kept away from hazards. And while rabbits are often quite friendly and playful, they are definitely not cuddly. My rabbits love to come over and get a head rub, and socialize with the cats just fine, but try to pick them up and carry them around, and they'll just get pissed off. If these details don't bother you, then a rabbit can make a very good pet. If you weren't expecting this, then you'll probably end up like the people from whom I just got my second rabbit.

      On the plus side, they're cheap to feed. Hay, fresh greens, and pellets cost very little compared to food made for carnivores like cats and dogs. I'm still surprised whenever I get a huge bag of bulk pellets and it costs less than $2, and a large bale of hay can last months.

    9. Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless by hawguy · · Score: 5, Funny

      Its only 'hot' to you if your body completes a circuit to ground. Its perfectly possible to cut a hot wire if there is no chance of the current going through you to ground. Its how high voltage linemen who repair high tension lines via helicopter do it. The problem occurs if they get too close to a mast ( which would form a ground circuit ), or the other 'cold' conductor.

      Yes, you are right. I would like to amend my post to say:

      If the rabbit is wearing proper protective gear, including insulating rubber shields over his teeth, a dental dam in his mouth to prevent saliva from wetting his teeth and tongue, rubber booties on his feet to insulate him from the ground, and a full-body rubber jacket to prevent any part of his body from contacting the floor, in those circumstances, the rabbit may be safe from electrocution if he chews through the hot wire. In normal conditions found in most homes, with the normal clothing typically worn by rabbits, he'll likely provide a good enough path to ground to feel a shock when he chews through the hot wire.

      Oh, and if the rabbit happens to be in a helicopter that is properly bonded to the power line...in those conditions he may also chew through the wire with impunity, though I would recommend that he wear the proper fall arresting gear.

    10. Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless by KshGoddess · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yes.

      I can't believe this would work for your car engine while you park it, nor would I think that most people want to add several pounds of galvanized wire to the underside of their cars.

      --
      It's a little wrong to say a tomato is a vegetable. It's a lot wrong to say it's a suspension bridge.
    11. 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.
    12. Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless by Abcd1234 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yeah, but that requires, like, work and stuff! I want to just get a rabbit around easter time, throw it in a cage, and then forget about it! Isn't that what pets are for?

  5. The number shalt be 3..... by char70ger · · Score: 2, Funny

    Call Brother Maynard!!!

  6. Install Python in your computer by mangu · · Score: 2, Funny

    This will surely get your computer rid of rabbits.

  7. 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

  8. Re:Simple Fix: by pspahn · · Score: 2, Funny

    and here I was, expecting to see a photo of This dude

    --
    Someone flopped a steamer in the gene pool.
  9. Re:Wiring specification by nanoflower · · Score: 2, Informative

    I think the green attitude took over the car industry. I was just reading an article talking about how various manufacturers are starting to use more green products in automobiles including using bamboo and coconut fibers for car seats. Ford is looking at using a soy based foam to extrude for car seats. So you could imagine coming back and finding the wires, seats and anything else non metallic is gone from your car after going on an extended trip. Here's another article about the kind of problems these creatures are causing including some pictures of the damage done. http://pleasantonautorepair.net/?p=114

  10. Re:quite offensive? by scubamage · · Score: 2, Funny

    I have no idea what you are talking about.