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

by ososkie21

37 Comments

  1. wookiex84

    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?

  2. Looks like teeth marks on the outer insulation

  3. paperjockie

    Squirrels love to nibble on the wire coating. Replaced some for a customer last month

  4. 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.

  5. Old_Ingenuity8736

    Chewed. Pretty obvious in the 2nd photo.

  6. 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.

  7. _Christopher_Crypto

    Vote #82 for squirrel. We put lights around our trees during the holidays*, squirrels get them every year.

  8. LongRoofFan

    Squirrels have eaten mine for a point of reference 

  9. No-Sherbert-9857

    I’d say squirrels deliberately chewed through those wires

  10. EastHillWill

    Definitely chewed off. Have you crossed any squirrels or rabbits lately?

  11. 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.

  12. age_of_No_fuxleft

    Chewed. I had low watt wired lights up a path to my door and rabbits ate em up every time.

  13. 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

  14. 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!!!

  15. 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.

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. Recent-Flower-1239

    Definitely Squirrels ate mine. No neighbors for miles.

  20. Squirrel.

    I had them eat Christmas light I had up one year. Caught the varmits red handed one night .

  21. 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.

  22. cementfeet

    Yeah that’s a chew. They love the coating. Fiber, cable and telco lines are chewed like this constantly. 

  23. SearchUnable4205

    I would say … after thorough review … electrical compliance owl inspector …

  24. Regular_Climate_6885

    Squirrels. Happens to me every year.

  25. Sad-Second-9646

    Fucking squirrels. They’ve chewed at least 20 of my string lights off

  26. 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.

  27. Awkward_Definition97

    I bet a squirrel with a knife is getting his nuts off

  28. 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.

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