Rant: My crane turned into a squirrel highway on a recycling plant job

We were lifting old steel beams at a recycling site to make space for new sorting gear. I noticed a line of squirrels running up and down the crane's boom like it was their personal playground. They were grabbing bits of insulation to pad their nests, and I had to shut down for twenty minutes while they finished their haul. How do you guys handle animals when working on eco-friendly sites?

3 comments

3 Comments

wesley_hart2mo ago

Last summer on a solar farm install, we had rabbits living under the panels. I used to see animals as pests that just messed up our schedule. But watching them move around our gear made me realize they belong there too. Now I plan for quick stops like your squirrel break, and it saves time vs. chasing them off later. That crane delay probably kept them from chewing wires or causing worse issues.

xena6421mo ago

Totally get that shift in thinking. Started leaving brush piles in the corners of new gardens for lizards and bugs. Clients love it and it cuts down on pests eating the plants later.

river_rivera482mo ago

Had a bird family nest in our excavator cab once. Just let them finish raising the chicks before we moved it, way less hassle than a full cleanup later.