OT- Rat bitting and eating the wires

Maj. Toxido · Sep 18, 2007

Hi! to all of you.

Im working in a flour milling and pasta plant, We have a problem here about rats bitting and eating our wires. Specially communication wires of PLCs and 24V DC controls. This cause big trouble to our production. Is there something that you could recommend or a way how to eliminate nor prevent this type of problem.

We have a team which is doing the sanitation and fumigation every week to prevent this also there is a pest control working every month, but still the problem exist!

I would like to know from the expert or have an experience with this.

Sorry for the post cause its way beyond the PLC topic

Mickey · Sep 18, 2007

Get a Cat. I should know.

rPraveenkum · Sep 18, 2007

put rat trap near all controls & comm cable

rPraveenkum · Sep 18, 2007

make sure all opening are closed in the controlpanel & cable trenches

Krcedinac · Sep 18, 2007

In my country they prefere optical cables with nice red light:nodi:

Tresco-oz · Sep 18, 2007

Perhaps use 'steel wire armoured' cable or metal conduit.

Stationmaster · Sep 18, 2007

This is a FOOD processing plant!!! The rats have gotta GO. Eaten wires is only ONE of the problems.......What about lack of cleanliness, associated parasites, spreading of disease, loss of product........I'm imagining a very BIG rat problem if you have taken the steps listed and STILL have rats. Go NUCLEAR!

OZEE · Sep 18, 2007

The problem is NOT "rats bitting and eating our wires"... the problem is rats in your mill and pasta plant. The best answer -- especially since it's a food plant!! -- is to get rid of the rats, not to do something to protect the wires.

I work for a major milling company, too. Sanitation and fumigation alone aren't going to help if you have places where they come in. You need to establish a serious rodent control program.

One this that would help to protect the wires would be to run everything in conduit. (That's what we do -- though not for rodent protection...)

curlyandshemp · Sep 18, 2007

Mickey said:
Get a Cat. I should know.

If rodents are a problem, get a cat
If the cat becomes a problem, get a dog
If the dog becomes a problem, get a lion
If the lion becomes a problem, get an elephant
If the elephant becomes a problem, get a mouse
If the mouse becomes a problem , get a ....

wait, that's a Daffy Duck, Pork Pig cartoon, sorry

plc_padawan · Sep 18, 2007

I worked for a big food manufacturer once and the way they kept out the rodents was to set traps all around the building and inside the building. They had an outside contractor come every so often and empty the traps. I don't know what they used for bait, or how many they caught, but I never seen a single rat in that place.

The traps were about the size of a shoebox and had about a 2" hole on one side.

Tharon · Sep 18, 2007

We put poison in our trenches. This kills the mice and rats.

But then again, we don't produce food...

TimothyMoulder · Sep 18, 2007

It's easy to say, "Get rid of the rodents!" but not so simple to do. In any food industry, your company produces what is essentially bait, so it's less than charitable to scold Toxido about sanitation - sounds like their already doing all they can think of, and are now trying to address the collateral damage.

How about putting some sort of repellent on the wires themselves? There are things even rats won't eat...

Stationmaster · Sep 18, 2007

TimothyMoulder said:
It's easy to say, "Get rid of the rodents!" but not so simple to do. In any food industry, your company produces what is essentially bait, so it's less than charitable to scold Toxido about sanitation - sounds like their already doing all they can think of, and are now trying to address the collateral damage.

How about putting some sort of repellent on the wires themselves? There are things even rats won't eat...

No one is "scolding Toxido". GET RID OF THE RATS!

panic mode · Sep 18, 2007

it looks like they prefer cables over their products

use armored cables and they will be forced to look for meal elsewhere...

rsdoran · Sep 18, 2007

Stationmaster said:
No one is "scolding Toxido". GET RID OF THE RATS!

Yes you are, he stated they are working on the problem of getting rid of the rats but simply asked suggestions for protecting the wiring because of the rodent problem.

As menitoned may want to use conduit even for the commm cables, if the wiring must be exposed maybe have them place traps etc. in those places. There are repellants on the market but not sure if any are spray or actually work. Poison should not be used because it may be transported to the food or the rodent(s)could die in the food.

Rodents are not as prone to carry disease that may cause harm to humans as one may think. The real damage could be the damage they cause by chewing wires etc.

Pest control is a multi-billion dollar.

OT- Rat bitting and eating the wires

Maj. Toxido

Member

Mickey

Lifetime Supporting Member

rPraveenkum

Member

rPraveenkum

Member

Krcedinac

Member

Tresco-oz

Member

Stationmaster

Member

OZEE

Member

curlyandshemp

Lifetime Supporting Member

plc_padawan

Member

Tharon

Member

TimothyMoulder

Member

Stationmaster

Member

panic mode

Member

rsdoran

Lifetime Supporting Member

Similar Topics