I have a free-standing fountain for squirrels, birds, bees, etc. to drink from. The electric cord for the pump has to go a couple of yards to be plugged in, and critters continually chew through them. I've looked online and seen many suggested fixes (piping, rodent tape, mesh covers) but reviewers typically comment that they don't work. The cover would have to be wide enough for the plug to fit through, and that width would allow rodents to get in. Any ideas?
Use a weatherproof cord (plastic or rubber covered), bury it in a trench several inches deep, and fill the trench with gravel, crushed rock, or something like that. Put out rat traps, mouse traps, etc. to reduce the rodent population. There is also a non-toxic bait you can use that rodents eat and die from. It prevents their blood from clotting or some such thing. Sometimes that bait is put in enclosed containers to keep non-rodents (pets, children) from eating it.
You could use armored electric cable,
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-Armored-(BX)-Electrical-Cable
but I think its use in a wet area is prohibited, so that simple approach is probably out.
ZM
Thanks Zen Man! Unfortunately the cord runs across a concrete pad.
Does the concrete pad have an expansion joint in it?
No, that whole section is solid. We feed squirrels and birds, so don't want anything with poison as a deterrent, just want something to protect the wires from being munched on.
