I have several motion activated sprinklers that I use to chase the deer
away. They actually work pretty good. You have to leave the hose hooked up
and turned on so the things will work all the time. They spray an eight
second burst and then reset. Anyway I looked out the other day and saw a
fine spray coming up from one of the hoses. I figured it just couldn't take
the pressure. Upon further examination I found some critter had chomped on
the hose hard enough to puncture it and cause a spray of water. I assume
because it is so dry. I proceeded to cut out the bad section and repair the
hose. Today I look out an another hose is doing the same thing. Then I
went around to look at the other setups. I had turned the water off on one
area as everything of value had frozen. Instead of just poking a hole in
the hose the critter had chewed the thing completely in two in two different
places, I now have three pieces of hose. I still believe the motive is to
get at the water as it is so dry. What ever is doing this is stopping when
it strikes water and if it doesn't it keeps chewing. I have fought the good
fight against a lot of pests but this is a new one on me. I am hesitant to
put drinking containers out as that will attract the deer as well but that
might be the only solution. What ever it is has very small sharp teeth,
might be a possum or a coon. I guess I will vote coon as they are the
smarter of the two I believe. Maybe set the live trap and bait it with
water.

Happy New Year.

Cliff

Wooly wrote:
Cliff wrote:

I have several motion activated sprinklers that I use to chase the
deer away. They actually work pretty good. You have to leave the
hose hooked up and turned on so the things will work all the time.
They spray an eight second burst and then reset. Anyway I looked out
the other day and saw a fine spray coming up from one of the hoses. I
figured it just couldn't take the pressure. Upon further examination
I found some critter had chomped on the hose hard enough to puncture
it and cause a spray of water. I assume because it is so dry. I
proceeded to cut out the bad section and repair the hose. Today I
look out an another hose is doing the same thing. Then I went around
to look at the other setups. I had turned the water off on one area
as everything of value had frozen. Instead of just poking a hole in
the hose the critter had chewed the thing completely in two in two
different places, I now have three pieces of hose. I still believe
the motive is to get at the water as it is so dry. What ever is doing
this is stopping when it strikes water and if it doesn't it keeps
chewing. I have fought the good fight against a lot of pests but this
is a new one on me. I am hesitant to put drinking containers out as
that will attract the deer as well but that might be the only
solution. What ever it is has very small sharp teeth, might be a
possum or a coon. I guess I will vote coon as they are the smarter of
the two I believe. Maybe set the live trap and bait it with water.

Happy New Year.

Cliff






Could be rats. We had one in our garage, where the laundry room is.
Little ******* gnawed three supply hoses to the washer before I trapped it.

Same here. A rat consumed the wire insulation on the washer first. then
came back after that was repaired and nicked a tiny hole in the hot
water hose and made the garage into a sauna. He eventually ate the paint
off the big C9 Christmas lights, radiused the tires on the lawn mower,
put a 4" hole in the trash can, and bored into a sofa that was in the
garage.

I got him with poison but he died well hidden, stinking to high heaven.
When we moved he was wedged behind the last piece of furniture leaving
the garage. You can imagine my surprise when I moved the loveseat and a
mummified rat was stuck to the wall about 2 feet up leering at me with a
dehydrated grin.

I know it must of been frustrating to deal with the rat, but I had a
great laugh off your story...it was cute..in a way..
Thank you,
Anita
You can imagine my surprise when I moved the loveseat and a
mummified rat was stuck to the wall about 2 feet up leering at me with a
dehydrated grin.

wrote:
I know it must of been frustrating to deal with the rat, but I had a
great laugh off your story...it was cute..in a way..
Thank you,
Anita
You can imagine my surprise when I moved the loveseat and a

mummified rat was stuck to the wall about 2 feet up leering at me with a
dehydrated grin.


The part I thought was cute was when I called my wife and her
margarita-drinking friends out into the garage for a look (sharing is a
good thing, right?).

The rat was stuck to the same wall as the door into the house so they
walked right past it when they came out.

When I told them to turn around they started screaming their heads off.
Probably sounded like an ax murder in progress to the neighbors.

On Dec 27, 6:33 pm, jOhN wrote:
wrote:
I know it must of been frustrating to deal with the rat, but I had a
great laugh off your story...it was cute..in a way..
Thank you,
Anita
That is funny..does this story have an end? lol
Anita

wrote:
On Dec 27, 6:33 pm, jOhN wrote:

wrote:

I know it must of been frustrating to deal with the rat, but I had a
great laugh off your story...it was cute..in a way..
Thank you,
Anita

That is funny..does this story have an end? lol
Anita

The rat thinks so ;-)

The Missus and I are still going strong.......

There are actually a few prequel anecdotes about the critters that we
crossed paths with at that same house. I'll save them for next year.