If its stood on mineral wool loft insulation or timber ceiling joists high up in a house while chewing through the cable then there's quite a high resistance through the squirrel to ground, so the current flow will be small & probably non-fatal.

If it chews the live conductor while touching a copper pipe, earthed metal conduit, earth conductor or neutral conductor then its likely to be a different story.

Perhaps they quickly learn to only touch one conductor at a time?

David

Posted By: WillnAberdeenbuzzards

they are a menace around here, they sit on fence posts looking at me as though I am edible. Then, when I am not looking sweep down and smash into my windscreen or side window when I drive past. So maybe the ideal would be to send a squadron of Cornish Buzzards up to where they are needed

... forgot to mention, wire wool seems to work well ...

they dont like chewing it

Had a further thought ...
Remember seeing stainless steel pins being mixed in with concrete at a substitute for rebars ...
We're right on a slope/precipice so we'll have to render / form revetement on that side.
I would imagine it's worth mixing stainless pins into the render to give the bigger rodents, erm, "no run for their money" ....

Posted By: SteamyTea

Posted By: MikeRumneyI would imagine it's worth mixing stainless pins into the render to give the bigger rodents, erm, "no run for their money" ....

Somewhere we discussed the problem of SS when air is excluded, it rots quickly apparently.

The whole point of SS is that the surface forms Chromium oxide so it rusts (i.e. oxidises) but not destructively. This only happens when it is exposed to air (with oxygen). A classic example quoted by my materials lecturer was SS sewer pipes. No oxygen = rapid decay. The more Chromium in the SS the better and less chance of iron being at the surface (which will 'rust') and what you see in some cheap cutlery when put in a dishwasher (as the power of the dishwasher scours what small amount of chromium oxide that was able to form, but the iron oxide more readily forms when it can IIRC).

Galvanised is the way to go except that steel in concrete does not readily rust as there is no oxygen! This is why Rebar is OK. However, there were problems with some additives in the concrete in the 70's that made the concrete too alkaline (?) which caused the rebar to decay (again IIRC)

Just spent the last year rat proofing my house.
Underfloor honey comb supporting walls covered in 10mm welded wire mesh, new soffit boards (recycled plastic) with mesh between rafters, and mesh covering the air vents (internal side of the double wall)
I know this works because you could hear the rats trying to get back into the house - my neighbour went down the poison route and just got maggots and smells.
Have also wired / meshed up the compost bins and under the shed and decking, they are still around the garden but some humane traps and a bucket of water suffice.

These days anytime i do work under floors, in lofts, stud or lathe and plaster walls, i chuck in mouse killer, the stuff enclosed in plastic or the paper sachets is most convenient. Bait blocks on a nail. My worst property is an 1870’s terrace, despite being completely stripped back during the renovation to flats, the first year was endless complaints from tenants about mice. I used to drill holes in walls and use a funnel to pour grain based poisons. Eventually got on top of it.
Every year with the first frost they’ll be back, most tenants are seemingly incapable of keeping kitchens clean and food stored properly. It’s become part of my job dealing with mice.
My own place , i found 4 mummified squirrels in amongst the old insulation, endless mouse nests and 2 long dead rats under the floor. Again as everything was put back together lots of mouse and rat bait put down.
The damage the mice and squirrels had done over the years was unreal, Borrowed a co2 powered squirrel killer for the loft and got 2, bought an air rifle , got quite a few first 2 years, since then 1 or 2 a year, they soon learn and go elsewhere, which is also a bonus for the songbirds. Local foxes a bit disapointed to not get their easy squirrel dinner.