I tasted Honda’s spicy rodent-repelling tape and I will do it again (2021)

Reactions to the article and style

• Many readers loved the piece, calling it “timeless,” “Dave Barry–level,” “Sedaris-level,” and one of the funniest things they’ve read in years.
• Others found it unnecessarily verbose and engagement-driven, preferring a straight factual explanation.
• Several praised its structure (“every line makes you want to read the next”) and subscribed to the newsletter; a minority questioned why non‑fiction “needs” to be entertaining.
• A side thread debated whether such writing could be AI-generated; consensus leaned toward “too distinctive and funny” for current LLM output, especially given its 2021 date.

Human curiosity and tasting deterrents

• Many admitted to tasting Nintendo Switch cartridges or canned-air bitterants out of curiosity; descriptions converged on “extremely bitter” and lingering.
• Coin-cell batteries and some cables were reported to have similar bitter coatings.
• One commenter joked that an LLM would never predict the article’s title, reflecting how odd yet compelling the premise is.

Rodent behavior and biology

• Commenters clarified that rodents don’t just “like” gnawing; they must do it to keep ever-growing teeth in check.
• Analogies were drawn to other animals with problematic overgrowing tusks/teeth, and pet-rat owners described needing regular tooth trimming.
• Multiple stories described rats and mice chewing car wiring, conduits, and even lead sheathing, causing expensive or dangerous failures.

Capsaicin, evolution, and repellents

• Long subthread on capsaicin: birds lack the relevant receptor, so peppers evolved to deter mammals (seed grinders) but not birds (seed dispersers).
• People use capsaicin-treated birdseed and sprays to deter squirrels and rodents, with mixed long-term success; some squirrels and deer seem to adapt.
• Others cautioned about indoors use (irritation) and noted capsaicin is fat‑soluble, so dairy/oil help more than water.

Does the tape work? What else can you do?

• Some wondered if licking underestimates how spicy it is when chewed (as rodents would).
• Others cited videos and personal experience suggesting rodents sometimes ignore capsaicin products, raising questions about the tape’s price–performance ratio.
• Alternatives mentioned: peppermint oil, mint/catnip, mechanical sealing, trapping/poison, cats, foxes/coyotes, and municipal “go to the source” campaigns against rat habitats.

Social media as customer support

• Big side discussion: why the author tweeted Honda.
• Many recounted situations where complaints on Twitter (or similar) got faster, higher‑level responses than phone or email, especially with telcos, banks, airlines, and ISPs.
• Others argued this is degrading overall support quality and increasingly unreliable as platforms change.

Safety, glamorization, and contaminants

• Some worried the article might encourage copycat “lol I ate the thing” stunts, especially among kids.
• Others noted the article’s disclaimers and treated it as humor rather than a how‑to.
• A few expressed concern about undisclosed contaminants or supply‑chain substitutions in non-food products, even if MSDSs look benign.

Cars, wiring, and soy‑based plastics

• Numerous anecdotes of rodent-chewed wiring in cars, Jaguars/Land Rovers, Subarus, and equipment, sometimes costing thousands.
• Debate over whether newer bio‑based or soy‑derived insulation is more attractive to rodents: some cited lawsuits and mechanics’ anecdotes; others argued it’s mostly myth and that modern bioplastics are chemically similar to petro-based plastics.
• General agreement that “warm engine bays + things to gnaw” are the core attractor; tape only addresses the gnawing, not the shelter.

Warnings and regulation tangents

• The Honda PR email line about “everything causing cancer” triggered discussion of California Proposition 65.
• Many criticized Prop 65 for over-warning (“this building may contain chemicals”), desensitizing people; others noted evidence it pushed manufacturers to reformulate products nationwide.

Miscellaneous side threads

• Long, playful digressions on: property rights vs. shortcuts through courtyards; freedom to roam; firearms and trespassing; birds hitting windows; evolutionary botany (nixtamalization, seed coatings); poisonous plants and foraging anecdotes; and the referenced poem (“This Is Just To Say”).
• Multiple commenters said the piece exemplifies what they enjoy about Hacker News: deeply unnecessary yet meticulous curiosity pursued for its own sake.