Denver Airport Overrun by Car-Eating Rabbits

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.

!rodents

[the_one_wesp]

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.

Rabbits chew wires regardless

[XxtraLarGe]

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.*

Re:summary longer than original article

[Anonymous Coward]

That's because this is Slashdot. Why link to the actual article when you can link to a shitty blogpost?

The real article is at the end:
http://www.kwgn.com/news/kdvr-rabbits-at-dia-txt,0,2197200.story [kwgn.com]

Seriously, in a few months, every Slashdot summary will just be a copy-and-paste of a "re-tweet" with a bit.ly link in it.

Florida Everglades has similar problem

[xerx]

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 [palmbeachpost.com]

Re:!rodents

[celticryan]

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.

Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless

[hawguy]

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).

Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology

[Anonymous Coward]

And if someone's pet gets poisoned by it you'll have a chaser.

Re:!rodents

[bendytendril]

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 :)

Re:Wiring specification

[nanoflower]

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 [pleasantonautorepair.net]

Re:Well, I Owe My Friend an Apology

[Anonymous Coward]

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)

Re:Rabbits chew wires regardless

[smellsofbikes]

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 [wikipedia.org]. Please to not ever be working on house wiring in the US, kthxby.