Q: We have one of those plastic resin hose reels at our outside spigot. The hose stays rolled up on the reel most of the year. Recently we discovered a big hole near the nozzle end of the hose (the end that sticks out of the box), and thought at first that the hose had somehow frozen. But today when we pulled the damaged hose all the way out we found multiple points of tooth damage. What small critter with a serious pair of front teeth eats garden hose?

A: Darn their sorry souls!

I suspect either chipmunks or squirrels. I lean toward young squirrels because they seem to chew on anything…including the yellow plastic stopper on my gas can!

Try setting a live trap nearby and capturing the culprits.

animal damage to hose

animal damage to hose

animal damage to gas can cap

animal damage to gas can