I suspect many people didn’t take my concerns for the future
of our infrastructure seriously, so today’s NY Times opinion on Squirrel
Power! by Jon Mooallem was
most timely – you can’t make this stuff up!
“since Memorial Day, I’ve cataloged reports of 50 power
outages caused by squirrels in 24 states. (And these, of course, are only those
power outages severe enough to make the news.) Fifteen hundred customers lost
power in Mason City, Iowa; 1,500 customers in Roanoke, Va.; 5,000 customers in
Clackamas County, Ore.; and 10,000 customers in Wichita, Kan. — and that was
just during two particularly busy days in June. …
“In 1987, a squirrel shut down the Nasdaq for 82 minutes and
another squirrel shut down the Nasdaq again in 1994 …
“In Austin, Tex., squirrels have been blamed for 300 power
outages a year. Other utility companies have claimed that between 7 and 20
percent of all outages are caused by some sort of wild animal, and a 2005 study
by the State of California estimated, hazily, that these incidents cost
California’s economy between $32 million and $317 million a year.”
So
you might ask, how do I propose to keep squirrels out of the A-Ways? After
decades of matching of wits with squirrels eating at our bird feeders, I know
it’s a huge challenge. A 2’ diameter squirrel guard on a 6’ pole on our deck
works perfectly for red squirrels, grey squirrels and even chipmunks. However
it is only marginally effective against raccoons, and not at all against bears.
The bears in the Adirondacks have even figured out how to open some of the bear
barrels designed to keep them out of a camper’s food.
A primary aspect of squirrel control, and other animals as
well, is eliminating food from the area you want to protect: AutonomousCleaning devices will shine here. Having also matched wits with mice, I know
that eliminating even the smallest entry hole is essential: another role for Autonomous
Devices. From competing with groundhogs for food in our garden, I know that
live trapping is an effective method that also works with other small creatures
– I don’t plan to try it with bears: Autonomous Trappers can manage this
though and then spirit them away J.
Lots of room for innovation in improving our Autonomous Infrastructure.
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