Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots(including woodchucks), flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and have been introduced to Australia. They are generally small animals, ranging in size from the African pygmy squirrel at 7–10 cm (2.8–3.9 in) in length and just 10 g (0.35 oz) in weight, to the Alpine marmot which is 53–73 cm (21–29 in) long and weighs from 5 to 8 kg (11 to 18 lb). Squirrels live in almost every habitat from tropical rainforest to semi-arid desert, avoiding only the high Polar Regions and the driest of the deserts. Squirrels cannot digest cellulose and have to rely on foods containing proteins and fats. As their large eyes indicate, squirrels generally have an excellent sense of vision, which is especially important for tree-dwelling species. They also have very versatile and sturdy claws for grasping and climbing. Many also have a good sense of touch, with vibrissae on their heads and limbs. The teeth of squirrels follow the typical rodent pattern, with large gnawing incisors that grow throughout life, and grinding cheek teeth set back behind a wide gap. In one year’s time, a squirrel’s incisors can grow up to six inches. Ground-dwelling species are generally social animals, often living in well-developed colonies. The living squirrels are divided into five subfamilies, with about 58 genera and some 285 species. The Indian palm squirrel is the most common type of squirrel found in India. Squirrels are generally inquisitive and persistent animals.
As mentioned earlier they have the characteristic trait of rodents that is they have ever-growing incisors which compels them to chew on anything. Optical fibers have revolutionized modern day communication including cable T.V and internet. These optical fiber cables can be damaged seriously by gnawing rodents. In August 2011, The Atlantic reported the spokesperson of Level 3 communication, a fiber network company with 84,000 miles of cable to having incurred losses to the level of 17% due to damage done by squirrels. These rodents chew on the fiber optic cables thus damaging them. Another cable company Time Warner Cables recently reported that they suffer heavy damage to fiber optic cables owing to squirrels as they chew through the lines. When this occurs the fiber optic cable’s protection is lost and they become susceptible to rain and other natural elements.”Squirrel chews” had compelled them to replace 87 miles of cable during 2011 incurring losses in hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Squirrel’s knack of chewing into cables extends to coaxial cables too. There have been reports of sudden long cable outages owing to chewing by squirrels. Carra Higgins of The Inter-Mountain reported that there were sudden outages in the Rich Mountain area owing to squirrel gnawing in certain portions of the cable. The cable company spokesman was quoted as saying that squirrels climbed on telephone wires to access the cable lines. These coaxial cables were typically coated with aluminum which fell prey to the squirrels. These ubiquitous, furry buzz saws are most likely damaging aerial cable plant in worldwide settings, increasing maintenance expenses and reducing the productivity of technical operations groups. Service outages caused by squirrels can also adversely affect the image of service providers, possibly reducing revenue growth.
Various methods are being traditionally used to tackle this problem. One of the methods being used is the use of barriers which partially or completely surround the outside of the cable. Barriers outside the cable are typically designed to prevent a rodent’s jaws from opening wide enough for it to chew the barrier thus effectively protecting the cable inside. These barriers can be used in aerial applications. But they have a lot of constraints. The use of physical barriers increases the material cost as well as the cost of deploying the cables. The greater the size and weight of the cable the greater is the wind and ice loading. It is thus uneconomical to use them.
Another method being used to protect cables from squirrels is the use of Rodenticides which are by all means toxins. The use of these rodenticides is strongly discouraged due to their ramifications on the environment and the food chain. These rodenticides essentially contain toxic substances which have a high vapor pressure and they, therefore, enter the environment easily. Also as these rodenticides are designed to kill the toxins enter the food chain via any animal who feeds on the dead squirrel.
Better alternatives need to be found out to protect the cables from squirrels and other rodents alike. The salient features being not to kill but to generate a repellant response in the target species. Rodrepel fits the profile perfectly as it is non-toxic, non-hazardous, environmentally friendly rodent repellant.
We, at C Tech Corporation have come up with the right solution for this. It is known asCombirepel™. Combirepel™ is a niche product which is a rodent aversive. The difference between this product and other rodenticides is that it is an extremely low toxicity and extremely low hazard and eco-friendly. It works on the mechanism of repellence and does not kill the target species but only repels them.
Using this eco-friendly product will definitely help reduce the rodent menace.
The product is compliant with ROHS, ROHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA, EU-BPR, and FIFRA exempted.
Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com if you’re facing problems with rodents and get best remedies to combat the pest menace.
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