Squirrels and other critters are a leading cause of power outages. For example, Longmont Power & Communications in Colorado told the Wall Street Journal that 90 percent of its outages are due to squirrels. And at Pepco, outages due to squirrels rose from 702 in 2001 to 999 in 2002.

As the electrical grid spreads and more wires are added close to devastated animal habitats, that number will continue to rise across the U.S. In response to these critter-related outages, a new generation of anti-squirrel technologies is emerging,

aimed at alleviating aggravation for customers and eliminating extra work for utility employees. Critter Guard is one of many companies that have created new options for the electricity industry.

Critter Guard offers Line Guard and Pole Guard, both of which are designed to prevent squirrels from gaining access to substations, distribution systems, and other sensitive electrical components via lines or poles.

The devices, which are mounted directly on a line or a pole, have plastic wheels at either end that create a "jump barrier" for the squirrel—that is, when the squirrel approaches the guard, it must jump over the wheel. Then comes the surprise; the squirrel lands on a series of hollow polypropylene rollers that rotate very easily, quickly tossing the animal off the line.

Certified linemen can install these line and pole guards in about 10 minutes without downtime. Doug Wulff, director of marketing at Critter Guard, told us that sales have been better than expected since the products hit the market in November 2002. Utility companies may also sell these products to homeowners and large facilities that have squirrel or other animal pest problems. (Critter Guard does not sell directly to homeowners or businesses.)

To date, Critter Guard's clients have included Central Maine Power Co., Charter Communications, Duke Energy, Entergy, Gulf Power, Illinois Power Co., Mississippi Power Co., New York State Electric & Gas, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Salt River Project, and United Energy in Australia.

Utilities have long toyed with various squirrel-proofing approaches, such as insulating cables on wires or adding "squirrel boots" to keep the critters out. Some have tried banding poles with slippery hard plastic, while others have gone so far as to hang containers of expensive fox urine every 12 feet along substation fencing.

Despite these efforts, squirrels have continued to nest and burrow in the equipment and to chew through the insulation. Because Critter Guard's products completely prevent squirrels from accessing equipment, Electrical Contracting and Engineering News chose Critter Guard's offerings as one of the top 25 products of 2002, and we’re inclined to agree that it sounds like a good solution.

For more information on Critter Guard's products, contact Doug Wulff at 573-256-8422, email dougw@critterguard.org, or visit the company Web site at http://www.critterguard.org/.