Suicide squirrels driving utilities nuts

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...quirrels_N.htm

"Squirrels that fry themselves on power lines and transformers cause
tens of thousands of blackouts every year."

"In Lincoln, dubbed a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day
Foundation, "squirrel guards" have been placed on all 19,391
transformers.

The guards vary. Some are plastic or silicone caps that protect the
point where the power line and the transformer meet. The "Critter
Guard" features a flat disk that spins around whenever a squirrel
tries to climb past. Others deliver a minor shock to the squirrel to
scare it off.

PECO, which powers Philadelphia and its surrounding counties, spends
$1 million a year on squirrel guards to stop outages from "those
rascally little varmints," Engel said.

The utilities say they're seeing some success. PECO has seen its
squirrel-related outages tumble from 11,605 in 2003 to 1,345 in 2006.

But squirrels adapt to the technology, forcing the utilities to switch
to different forms of what's known in the business as "wildlife
abatement technology."

"Whenever we think we've got them figured out, they try something
else," Engelman said."


So, by reducing the number of attempted squirrel suicides via
electrocution, I'm guessing that we can expect to see an increase in
attempted squirrel suicides via bicycle front wheel/fork.

I seriously wonder if a move over several decades from acorn-bearing
to non-acorn-bearing trees is the only way to reduce the squirrel
menace.

-bdbafh

In article . com,
"bdbafh" wrote:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...quirrels_N.htm

"Squirrels that fry themselves on power lines and transformers cause
tens of thousands of blackouts every year."

The utilities say they're seeing some success. PECO has seen its
squirrel-related outages tumble from 11,605 in 2003 to 1,345 in 2006.

So, by reducing the number of attempted squirrel suicides via
electrocution, I'm guessing that we can expect to see an increase in
attempted squirrel suicides via bicycle front wheel/fork.

I seriously wonder if a move over several decades from acorn-bearing
to non-acorn-bearing trees is the only way to reduce the squirrel
menace.

There's another way: no bag limits, a 12-month season, and a free recipe
guide.

Squirrels taste sort of like rats,

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

"bdbafh" wrote in message
ups.com...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...quirrels_N.htm

"Squirrels that fry themselves on power lines and transformers cause
tens of thousands of blackouts every year."

"In Lincoln, dubbed a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day
Foundation, "squirrel guards" have been placed on all 19,391
transformers.

The guards vary. Some are plastic or silicone caps that protect the
point where the power line and the transformer meet. The "Critter
Guard" features a flat disk that spins around whenever a squirrel
tries to climb past. Others deliver a minor shock to the squirrel to
scare it off.

PECO, which powers Philadelphia and its surrounding counties, spends
$1 million a year on squirrel guards to stop outages from "those
rascally little varmints," Engel said.

The utilities say they're seeing some success. PECO has seen its
squirrel-related outages tumble from 11,605 in 2003 to 1,345 in 2006.

But squirrels adapt to the technology, forcing the utilities to switch
to different forms of what's known in the business as "wildlife
abatement technology."

"Whenever we think we've got them figured out, they try something
else," Engelman said."

As soon as you make something idiot proof they bring in a bigger idiot


So, by reducing the number of attempted squirrel suicides via
electrocution, I'm guessing that we can expect to see an increase in
attempted squirrel suicides via bicycle front wheel/fork.

I seriously wonder if a move over several decades from acorn-bearing
to non-acorn-bearing trees is the only way to reduce the squirrel
menace.

-bdbafh

On 2007-03-13, Ryan Cousineau wrote:

There's another way: no bag limits, a 12-month season, and a free recipe
guide.

Squirrels taste sort of like rats,

I'll take your word for that, thank you.

--

John )

On Mar 12, 9:37 pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:

Squirrels taste sort of like rats,

So would you recommend a golden curry sauce or something along a Thai
basil?

In article . com,
"Brian Huntley" writes:
On Mar 12, 9:37 pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:

Squirrels taste sort of like rats,

So would you recommend a golden curry sauce or something along a Thai
basil?

Squirrel stew added to sawmill gravy, served
atop baking powder biscuits. More biscuits
on the side.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca