Fridge cable- mice damage.

[zoothorn]

4 hours ago, Roundtuit said:

You really need to mouse-proof the house, not the cable, for all sorts of safety and health reasons, and sort out the current infestation ASAP if you've had mouse damage to new stuff within two days. 

Hi Roundtuit, thanks for reply.

 

Yup absolutely- but.. when I took out replacement fridge today, I looked underneath & saw the dishwasher & sink waste pipes dissapear way off twds RHS twds corner of other worktop cupboards. Simply no way (without all worktops & cabinets removed that is) I could get to the wall corner, to sure up around pipes with steel mesh. 
 

Anyway, my method of chopping all but 6" of Mum's fridge cable off, & adding a plug on, seems to have paid off. This meant I could separate the white extension cable from it, pass the female end of this thru sink cabinet back hole, then with a coathanger stretched out & a hook on the end.. looked underneath, & really rather brilliantly, fished/ hooked the socket out twds me, & mated it to fridge plug. Doddle then to put fridge back.

 

Also then a doddle to undo out again, & add some flexi ribbed 20mm black conduit to sheath the white extension cable, which even I thought looked appetising to gnaw on. When I can stumble on such pipey numnums that is.

 

Mum pleased.

I thank you. Zoot.

 

 

 

Edited August 10 by zoothorn

[Onoff]

Top tip, never work with cables if you've been eating, sandwiches etc and not washed your hands thoroughly. All that crumby, oily goodness leaves traces on the cables that makes it attractive to rodents.

 

You could invest in a can of Anti Marten  spray. I spray vulnerable areas and under the bonnets of parked cars with it.

 

 

[Roundtuit]

9 hours ago, zoothorn said:

Hi Roundtuit, thanks for reply.

 

Yup absolutely- but.. when I took out replacement fridge today, I looked underneath & saw the dishwasher & sink waste pipes dissapear way off twds RHS twds corner of other worktop cupboards. Simply no way (without all worktops & cabinets removed that is) I could get to the wall corner, to sure up around pipes with steel mesh. 

Pleased you've got the fridge sorted.  I wouldn't try to proof from the inside of the house; pest-proof the outside to stop the little feckers getting into the building fabric, and get a few traps down to clear out your current visitors or you may be replacing your replacement cable in the near future!

[zoothorn]

On 11/08/2026 at 06:43, Onoff said:

Top tip, never work with cables if you've been eating, sandwiches etc and not washed your hands thoroughly. All that crumby, oily goodness leaves traces on the cables that makes it attractive to rodents.

 

You could invest in a can of Anti Marten  spray. I spray vulnerable areas and under the bonnets of parked cars with it.

 

 

Well well, I've never heard of such a product before- considering I can't find the exit point outside, for the sink & dishwasher waste pipes, nor can get access inside to where they go out.. this seems sensible.

Or easier perhsps: some 20mm black flexible ribbed conduit to sheath the cable in: hoping I might stumble across something suitable in due course tbh.

 

This episode does make me paranoid about car electric cables tho. Surely a car has ideal nooks & crannies for mice. Saying that I haven't eve4 had an issue with any car before tbh.

 

Thanks Onoff.
 

Zh

[zoothorn]

On 11/08/2026 at 10:00, Roundtuit said:

Pleased you've got the fridge sorted.  I wouldn't try to proof from the inside of the house; pest-proof the outside to stop the little feckers getting into the building fabric, and get a few traps down to clear out your current visitors or you may be replacing your replacement cable in the near future!

Absolutely- I tried my best to trace where the sink & dishwasher pipes exit, but strangely nothing obvious outside though. Yup need to put traps. They seemed to leave the other cables (grey slightly thicker dishwasher one, & a solidcore grey flat one) both under there too.. & just went all guns on the one fridge grey cable.
 

Thanks, Zoot

[-rick-]

1 hour ago, zoothorn said:

Or easier perhsps: some 20mm black flexible ribbed conduit to sheath the cable in: hoping I might stumble across something suitable in due course tbh.

 

They will chew through that just as they will cable.

 

Focus your spending on buying mouse traps/that spray.

[Onoff]

Mice can get through a hole the diameter of a pencil. 

 

Any holes you find, stuff with cheap stainless steel dish scourers. For example:

 

https://www.savers.co.uk/household/all-household/cleaning-products/cleaning-sponges-dish-cloths/super-bright-stainless-steel-scourers-6-pack/p/574155

[zoothorn]

On 12/08/2026 at 20:29, Onoff said:

Mice can get through a hole the diameter of a pencil. 

 

Any holes you find, stuff with cheap stainless steel dish scourers. For example:

 

https://www.savers.co.uk/household/all-household/cleaning-products/cleaning-sponges-dish-cloths/super-bright-stainless-steel-scourers-6-pack/p/574155

Hi Onoff,

 

this tip which IIRC you told me of when renovating my kitchen a few years back, has worked great/ did for my 98yr old friend's kitchen undersink area too. But.. doesn't work for areas you simply cannot reach/ access tho.

 

Which is the issue here with my Ma's kitchen cable chewing problem. Hence only option is to clad the cable in something you see.

 

The two grey cables in the very same area, they haven't chewed, one being std dishwasher grey cable & t'other a solid core )flat grey internal wiring) type cable, both not clad in anything. Must be a reason.

 

Thanks