That time I found a family of squirrels living in a main panel

I was doing a service upgrade at a house in Portland last fall, and when I opened the old outdoor panel, a squirrel jumped right out at me. I swear I almost fell off the ladder. Inside, they had built a huge nest out of insulation and chewed up some of the wiring. The homeowner said they'd been hearing scratching for weeks. Now, I always give a panel a solid tap with my screwdriver before I open it, just in case. Anyone else have a surprise animal encounter on a job?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivanross1d ago

You said to give the panel a "solid tap" with a screwdriver. That's a good idea to scare something off, but you should really just open it carefully. A hard tap could actually cause a spark if things are loose inside.

nancy8171d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, @ivanross, a spark from a tap?

the_thea1d ago

But seriously, a spark from a tap? That seems like a stretch unless the panel is already falling apart. I'm more worried about the tap not being enough to scare off something that's settled in. What if it's a wasp nest or a really bold raccoon? A tap might just annoy them.

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