Came outside today and my backyard light strings were both destroyed, both wires were cut. Does this look like it’s from a squirrel/animal or a deliberate cut?
Can’t tell if it looks like bite marks or a clean cut from something. Either way definitely upsetting after dropping like $80 on these lights
Looks like bite marks, may have been a serrated tool. But I’m putting my money on a squirrel.
Edit: I will ask, is there any reason you suspect someone cut it?
oldtwins
Looks like teeth marks on the outer insulation
paperjockie
Squirrels love to nibble on the wire coating. Replaced some for a customer last month
Jbots
Looks more chew than cut to me.
weird-oh
If it’s a diagonal cut, it was made by a rodent. And since rabbits don’t climb well, it’s gotta be squirrels. We went on vacation for a couple of weeks, and when we got back, our lights had been cut in several places, and sections of wire were lying all over the yard. I looked it up, and apparently some manufacturers use soy in the wire jacketing, and squirrels love it. Not gonna redo it until I can be sure it won’t happen again.
Old_Ingenuity8736
Chewed. Pretty obvious in the 2nd photo.
One-Process-8731
Totally a squirrel. Happened to me. An electrician told me that it often happens ever since they began to use a composite rubber casing on string lights, something made partially with soy. Attracts squirrels.
_Christopher_Crypto
Vote #82 for squirrel. We put lights around our trees during the holidays*, squirrels get them every year.
LongRoofFan
Squirrels have eaten mine for a point of reference
No-Sherbert-9857
I’d say squirrels deliberately chewed through those wires
EastHillWill
Definitely chewed off. Have you crossed any squirrels or rabbits lately?
Soff10
Were they under too much tension? I bought and installed some. Squirrels kept using them as a trapeze. Then the end backed out of the light.
cowboygwe
Need bigger pictures of setup
age_of_No_fuxleft
Chewed. I had low watt wired lights up a path to my door and rabbits ate em up every time.
saltfanscribe
That just recently happened to me as well. I’m pretty sure it’s squirrels. I wonder if you can buy the string part without the bulb, I bet the bulbs are the expensive part
HouseSubstantial3044
Squirrels for sure. My buddy sent me a video of one from his porch and the squirrels figured out how to unscrew the lightbulbs and carry them away to their nests! They are notoriously mischievous!!!
sagaciousmarketeer
Squirrels don’t make linear cuts. Those cuts were made with a pair of serrated scissors.
Your neighbor doesn’t like your lights on all the time.
LeetMultisport
Flarking squirrels. I’ve had them chew up wicker chairs while daring me to hurt them. Chewed through hard plastic trash cans too. This makes me want to punt on my outdoor string lighting vision.
Secret_Morning_2939
We had the insulation chewed off the wiring and our car engine and had to have it totally rewired. Norwegian wharf rats.
maybe-an-ai
So, I had an issue with squirrels chewing through my fiber line. I was talking with the technician and he said it was happening more often now that they were using more bioplastics for the coatings. They find something in the coating tasty. Could be a myth.
Recent-Flower-1239
Definitely Squirrels ate mine. No neighbors for miles.
Figran_D
Squirrel.
I had them eat Christmas light I had up one year. Caught the varmits red handed one night .
Repulsive-Worth-2957
To ME they look like someone cut them with cooking scissors or hand held hedge clippers. I say this because i cut mine the other day with mu hedge clippers.
cementfeet
Yeah that’s a chew. They love the coating. Fiber, cable and telco lines are chewed like this constantly.
Stulmacher
Same happened to me. It was rats.
factfinder25
Squirrels!
The001Keymaster
Was there a smoking chipmunk near it?
SearchUnable4205
I would say … after thorough review … electrical compliance owl inspector …
Regular_Climate_6885
Squirrels. Happens to me every year.
Relative-Minimum4624
Squirrels 💯
Sad-Second-9646
Fucking squirrels. They’ve chewed at least 20 of my string lights off
Tight_Ad1454
Obviously a squirrel with a switchblade.
mcn2612
It is because the coating is now soy-based rather than the old kind which was petroleum based. Especially annoying and expensive when they start chewing on car wiring.
jjflash78
Squirrel with wire cutters.
Awkward_Definition97
I bet a squirrel with a knife is getting his nuts off
Bubbly_Chipmunk_2286
Squirrel
dezlorelle
Squirrels did this to all 4 of my solar string sets. They’re so destructive and are drawn to the wiring insulation for some reason.
37 Comments
Looks like bite marks, may have been a serrated tool. But I’m putting my money on a squirrel.
Edit: I will ask, is there any reason you suspect someone cut it?
Looks like teeth marks on the outer insulation
Squirrels love to nibble on the wire coating. Replaced some for a customer last month
Looks more chew than cut to me.
If it’s a diagonal cut, it was made by a rodent. And since rabbits don’t climb well, it’s gotta be squirrels. We went on vacation for a couple of weeks, and when we got back, our lights had been cut in several places, and sections of wire were lying all over the yard. I looked it up, and apparently some manufacturers use soy in the wire jacketing, and squirrels love it. Not gonna redo it until I can be sure it won’t happen again.
Chewed. Pretty obvious in the 2nd photo.
Totally a squirrel. Happened to me. An electrician told me that it often happens ever since they began to use a composite rubber casing on string lights, something made partially with soy. Attracts squirrels.
Vote #82 for squirrel. We put lights around our trees during the holidays*, squirrels get them every year.
Squirrels have eaten mine for a point of reference
I’d say squirrels deliberately chewed through those wires
Definitely chewed off. Have you crossed any squirrels or rabbits lately?
Were they under too much tension? I bought and installed some. Squirrels kept using them as a trapeze. Then the end backed out of the light.
Need bigger pictures of setup
Chewed. I had low watt wired lights up a path to my door and rabbits ate em up every time.
That just recently happened to me as well. I’m pretty sure it’s squirrels. I wonder if you can buy the string part without the bulb, I bet the bulbs are the expensive part
Squirrels for sure. My buddy sent me a video of one from his porch and the squirrels figured out how to unscrew the lightbulbs and carry them away to their nests! They are notoriously mischievous!!!
Squirrels don’t make linear cuts. Those cuts were made with a pair of serrated scissors.
Your neighbor doesn’t like your lights on all the time.
Flarking squirrels. I’ve had them chew up wicker chairs while daring me to hurt them. Chewed through hard plastic trash cans too. This makes me want to punt on my outdoor string lighting vision.
We had the insulation chewed off the wiring and our car engine and had to have it totally rewired. Norwegian wharf rats.
So, I had an issue with squirrels chewing through my fiber line. I was talking with the technician and he said it was happening more often now that they were using more bioplastics for the coatings. They find something in the coating tasty. Could be a myth.
Definitely Squirrels ate mine. No neighbors for miles.
Squirrel.
I had them eat Christmas light I had up one year. Caught the varmits red handed one night .
To ME they look like someone cut them with cooking scissors or hand held hedge clippers. I say this because i cut mine the other day with mu hedge clippers.
Yeah that’s a chew. They love the coating. Fiber, cable and telco lines are chewed like this constantly.
Same happened to me. It was rats.
Squirrels!
Was there a smoking chipmunk near it?
I would say … after thorough review … electrical compliance owl inspector …
Squirrels. Happens to me every year.
Squirrels 💯
Fucking squirrels. They’ve chewed at least 20 of my string lights off
Obviously a squirrel with a switchblade.
It is because the coating is now soy-based rather than the old kind which was petroleum based. Especially annoying and expensive when they start chewing on car wiring.
Squirrel with wire cutters.
I bet a squirrel with a knife is getting his nuts off
Squirrel
Squirrels did this to all 4 of my solar string sets. They’re so destructive and are drawn to the wiring insulation for some reason.