# Metal Mesh to Protect Speaker Cable from Mice



## wookus (Jan 7, 2007)

Greetings to All,

I just discovered that some rodent chewed through part of one of my speaker cables. Fortunately, it must have tasted bad because the damage was not too deep. I want to do something to protect the cables. One attractive looking product I ran across was _Metal Braid - Tinned Copper Sleeve_ made by the Tech Flex company. This is a metal mesh sleeve similar to some of the decorative ones used for speaker cable (I'd post a link, but I don't think I have five posts yet. A google search for "Metal Braid - Tinned Copper Sleeve" will bring up the information, though.)

This product is made for protecting cables from pesky chewers. My question is:

Would this have any negative effects on the sound quality?

Thank you for your consideration.

Best wishes,
Dave


----------



## gazoink (Apr 17, 2013)

wookus said:


> Greetings to All,
> 
> I just discovered that some rodent chewed through part of one of my speaker cables. Fortunately, it must have tasted bad because the damage was not too deep. I want to do something to protect the cables. One attractive looking product I ran across was _Metal Braid - Tinned Copper Sleeve_ made by the Tech Flex company. This is a metal mesh sleeve similar to some of the decorative ones used for speaker cable (I'd post a link, but I don't think I have five posts yet. A google search for "Metal Braid - Tinned Copper Sleeve" will bring up the information, though.)
> 
> ...


No negative effects. There are also several products you can apply to wires that discourage animals. One is peppermint extract, another is a product called Bitter Apple (or something like that). I've used both, they work well, but need to be replenished. I've used the peppermint extract to discourage mice in a summer home crawl space, seems to work well, but not for more than a few months.

The Bitter Apple is available in a spray bottle, and I use it to keep my cats from eating my cables. Oh, I guess a cat might discourage mice too. 

I have seen mice eat through metal braid, though it was covered by a vinyl jacket. 

EMT (thin wall) electrical conduit is very cheap, and would be completely effective. Down side, it's a pain to work with without the right tools. And you might not find it in areas where it's not used. PVC conduit is easier, more expensive, but more available. I also use Resigard, a flexible wire guide meant for low voltage installation. Very expensive, but very easy to work with. Comes in several diameters, all of which are too big to bite except perhaps by rodents of unusual size.


----------



## wookus (Jan 7, 2007)

Hi gazoink,

Thanks so much for your reply. Not only did you answer my question, but you offered alternatives, which I really appreciate.

My power amps are located in my basement (to save space upstairs) and the speaker cables run along the basement ceiling to a hole I drilled in the theater floor (with my wife's permission, of course), and then up to the speakers. The section of cable where the chewing occured is just over some cabinets that are close to the ceiling. I imagine that's how the rodent reached the cables. Along with a protective covering on the cables, I'll keep them as high off the cabinet top as possible so that, hopefully, the rodent won't be able to reach them.

I live in the woods in rural Virginia and squirrels, chipmunks, and other cute fuzzy creatures seem to love electrical wires, particularly hard to reach wires in our cars. I'll try some of the spray you suggested there.

Again, thanks so much for your very helpful reply.

Best wishes,
Dave


----------



## gazoink (Apr 17, 2013)

If you have just a short run where the wires need protection, you can also look at Wiremold. Go to a site like Home Depot, and search Wiremold, you'll find they make a lot of products, including 5' lengths of metallic wire channel with removable cover. That you could install, then snap the metal cover over with your wires inside. It's not expensive. They make several sizes and shapes, as well as plastic cord covers, etc. Almost anything they make would discourage varmint chewage. 

Rural Virginia, huh? Well, we were just there two weeks ago, though a bit north of you, very pretty country.


----------



## wookus (Jan 7, 2007)

Hi gazoink,

As a matter of fact, I have a doctor's appointment today and will be near the local Home Depot. I'll check out their selection of Wiremold and conduit.

I'm just glad the speaker cable wasn't damaged - it's an eight channel cable and was a lot of work to make and to run. The wildlife in the area really is beautiful, but boy can they be destructive. It took us years to figure out that about the only shrubs the deer won't eat are boxwoods and rhododendron. 

Thanks again for your help, and have a great day.

Best wishes,
Dave


----------



## Skytrooper (Feb 1, 2014)

I had a mouse make its home in my subwoofer. The port opening was it's doorway.

As much as I don't like to kill any animal, I went out and got mouse traps and baited them with Peanut Butter. Got it on the first night.


----------



## gazoink (Apr 17, 2013)

Skytrooper said:


> I had a mouse make its home in my subwoofer. The port opening was it's doorway.
> 
> As much as I don't like to kill any animal, I went out and got mouse traps and baited them with Peanut Butter. Got it on the first night.


I love animals, but mice aren't animals, they're costly pests and incredibly prolific. They're welcome to live anywhere outside my home, but that's where the line is drawn. They've cost me untold $$ already. One less in the world is not a loss.


----------



## Skytrooper (Feb 1, 2014)

It's just me. I don't like to kill things. I'll walk around a ant. Like you said gazoink, they are not welcome in ones home. They can make a real mess.


----------



## gazoink (Apr 17, 2013)

Skytrooper said:


> It's just me. I don't like to kill things. I'll walk around a ant. Like you said gazoink, they are not welcome in ones home. They can make a real mess.


Yeah, I know what you mean, I don't like to kill anything either. But I have to make a couple of exceptions. Once you've had to deal with a major infestation, the disgusting mess, the damage and expense of repairs...well... Hey, I even tried the humane traps first! Didn't work. I've only been a little successful with repulsion, mostly that's very short term, and I'm not around to replenish.

I'm not a hunter, I haven't fished in years, I detest taxidermy, I feed certain wild life, and I've spent hours on the phone trying to arrange a rescue of a squirrel (turns out, it was faking! Little jerk.) But rodents and insects were not made to co-habitate with humans. I'm sure they serve a function, just not inside. I've tried to talk to them nicely, them seem to only respond to deadly force. 

I take no joy in their dispatch, in fact it also disgusts me, it's just the lesser of two evils. Both are evil. I think the scales would be further tipped if they were attacking an expensive HDMI cable. (see how I kept the thread on topic?)


----------



## Skytrooper (Feb 1, 2014)

gazoink said:


> Yeah, I know what you mean, I don't like to kill anything either. But I have to make a couple of exceptions. Once you've had to deal with a major infestation, the disgusting mess, the damage and expense of repairs...well... Hey, I even tried the humane traps first! Didn't work. I've only been a little successful with repulsion, mostly that's very short term, and I'm not around to replenish.
> 
> I'm not a hunter, I haven't fished in years, I detest taxidermy, I feed certain wild life, and I've spent hours on the phone trying to arrange a rescue of a squirrel (turns out, it was faking! Little jerk.) But rodents and insects were not made to co-habitate with humans. I'm sure they serve a function, just not inside. I've tried to talk to them nicely, them seem to only respond to deadly force.
> 
> I take no joy in their dispatch, in fact it also disgusts me, it's just the lesser of two evils. Both are evil. I think the scales would be further tipped if they were attacking an expensive HDMI cable. (see how I kept the thread on topic?)


I share many of your views. Haven't hunted since 1970 and don't like to watch fish die on a stringer. But we gotta eat. But I am getting off topic.


----------

