Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Repellents To Reduce Cable Gnawing By Wild Norway Rats, Stephen A. Shumake, Ray T. Sterner, Stanley E. Gaddis

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rodents gnaw communications and power cables, resulting in service interruptions, fires, and other safety concerns. Commensal rodents such as the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) have been implicated in many of these situations. Two chemical repellents (capsicum oleoresin+apsaicin and denatonium benzoate) at 2.0% mass/mass concentrations in a polybutene carrier (Indopol-controlw) ere evaluated for repellent efficacy compared to a plastic mesh physical barrier material (Vexa*) and the polybutene carrier (placebo) alone using groups of individually caged wild Norway rats. The materials were applied to short lengths of communications cable (RG-8U) with the repellents enclosed in electrical shrink tubing around the …