Mmmmmm. those knobs is tasty!

[Mark Hammer]

Sometimes, I have to move projects in progress out of the way and out of sight, both to eliminate them as a distraction, as well as to free up bench and shelf space for other things I need to focus on.  Yesterday, getting things from the upper shelves in the garage, I stumbled onto a small battery-powered amp I was building into a cute little "suitcase-style" box from the dollar store, and noticed something odd about it.  I had used a bunch of the cheap Tayda knobs shown in the picture below, that cost peanuts and fit nicely on spline-shaft pots.

Well, they may cost peanuts, but apparently they taste like them too.  It appears the "LSB" ("Little striped bastard", as I refer to the local chipmunk that sneaks into my garage via a crack under the door) has developed a taste for the rubber/plastic surrounds on the knobs, and had chewed away the black part on all the knobs.  There were big chunks missing and teeth-marks all over the black part.  There was actually a recent story on the local news of a car-owner whose vehicle (forget the make) had sustained over $1000 in damage because some crucial engine parts were made of a plant-based plastic that is appealing to squirrels.  He had apparently needed to replace them twice, after they were partly chewed away, and the manufacturer was not accepting any responsibility for the cost.  The only available replacement parts were made of that stuff, so the only available remedy was to purchase some pepper-infused tape to put over the parts.  Jeez, when the animals don't want you to be green, we have a problem.

Now, I don't imagine that my particular situation pertains to large segment of the membership here.  But do make a point of keeping wildlife away from your gear and your gear away from wildlife.  I've had mice nesting in neglected gear before, but that only involved vacuuming stuff out after they departed.  This is the first time I've experienced furry things deciding to chow down on my gear.  I guess it's time to stick to hard plastic knobs.

[aron]

Yeah. The rats over here eat your slippers - i.e. flip flops here. Same thing. They chew away the back parts.

[BetterOffShred]

I have an old Atlas lathe mounted to a cabinet, and after about a year of storage I found that mice had taken up residence in all of the gear drawers.   Everything was all rusty with mouse-pee and I had to basically scrap the cabinet.   

I heard peppermint oil keep a mice and LSB's out of places fairly efficiently.

[Ben N]

LSBs are distant cousins of RUSs, I take it.

[Rixen]

lost internet for three days recently after a rat chewed through the fibre under the house.

Family nearly got to the point we had to talk to each other.

While finding the break, I also found a water leak from a PVC drain pipe. Yep, rat had chewed a hole in that too.

[stallik]

Many years ago, we had a house rabbit which was really fond of my guitar cable insulation. Little bugger ate so much of it, his droppings must have bounced!

[Mark Hammer]

Our own pet rabbit, who passed away a few years back, was free-ranging within the house, and frequently rendered our internet down with his cable-chewing habits.  The worst, however, was when he gnawed his way through the 26-conductor cable from my GK-1 control assembly.  I still have bad dreams about the splicing job that involved.

[GibsonGM]

I had a red squirrel get down my chimney pipe and (unbeknownst to me) tear up the burn chamber in my forced hot air furnace.  He got back out again, too!   When heating time came, the heat came on, and after a while I was noticing a burning paint smell, and a faint visual of smoke up in my attached barn.   I rapidly tracked it back to the furnace, after evacuating the cats and dog. 

No permanent damage done but if it had been allowed to run that way, the furnace would have destroyed itself in short order and cost thousands.  As it stood, $500 repair.  The previous owner of the house had installed a new furnace at the time they sold to us as it "just died on us", hmmm.... The next day, I looked out the window and saw a red tail going down my cat's throat.  No more problem with the red squirrel running around the roof!   Good cat!   

I did make a baffle for the chimney so its progeny can't get down it.  It happens...

[GGBB]

Score one for the petrochemical industry.

[GibsonGM]

Actually, Gord, I burn <30 gallons of oil per year.  I heat almost exclusively with a renewable forest product:  wood.   Just doing my part.   

[GGBB]

Actually, Gord, I burn <30 gallons of oil per year.  I heat almost exclusively with a renewable forest product:  wood.   Just doing my part.   

My comment was actually about the plant based plastics being eaten. Sorry for the confusion!

[GibsonGM]

No confusion, Gord - I'm proud of how little oil I burn!!  It's a yankee thing, ha ha!  Cheeeeeep!  Wood = sweat equity       

I am surprised that critters find the stuff attractive, though...just because it's 'plant based', I mean...they don't put flavors in there, right??   But since they eat other BS too tho, like foam board, wood, house wrap, maybe it's not too shocking...

[amptramp]

Honda has recently had a problem with their wiring harnesses in cars.  It seems mice love the taste and chomp right through them.  Maybe we need Sriracha insulation.

[GibsonGM]

Maybe they should throw some capsaicin in the mix??   There isn't much that mice won't chew.  Anyone storing an amp in a barn can attest to that...

[thermionix]

Anyone storing an amp in a barn can attest to that...

Or the poor sod that has to fix that amp after it's sold on craigslist.
(me)

[GibsonGM]

Sort of a common thing, isn't it?     But some of the very best finds can come from an old barn, ha ha!

[thermionix]

People salvage wood from old tobacco barns around here.  A dude I know had a tele body cut from an ash beam, featherweight.

[GGBB]

People salvage wood from old tobacco barns around here.  A dude I know had a tele body cut from an ash beam, featherweight.

Some build a business around that: http://www.barncaster.com/Barncaster/About.html.

[Jay Bones]

LSBs are distant cousins of RUSs, I take it.

I'd say very distant cousins!

Glad we don't have them here.  No 'opossum, gray squirrel, red squirrel, ground hog or skunk that the rest of Ohio commonly has.

[Mark Hammer]

What are RUSes?