Register FAQ Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
Navigation
Front Page
Forum
Gallery
Wiki

Ads by Google


Go Back   Hamster Central > Hamster Central Forum Topics > Hamster Chat

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-07-2017, 08:23 AM   #1
kittokitty
Adult Hamster
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: England
Posts: 368
Default mesh to keep mice out?

I have a solution now, please don't reply! (I couldn't find a way to lock the thread)

My Syrian hamster, Pippin, has a Detolf cage, but unfortunately I had to move him to an 80x50 bin cage as I found out that mice could climb up the side of the Detolf to get in.

Where can I get mesh that mice can't get through? Keeping in mind that some of them are really tiny

Last edited by kittokitty; 03-07-2017 at 05:41 PM.
kittokitty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2017, 09:35 AM   #2
spacebyte
Hamster Pup
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 136
Default Re: mesh to keep mice out?

What kind of mesh do you have on your lid now? Do you have any left over from making it, you could kind of overlay the mesh, making the squares smaller?

I'd try to address the root cause and catch the mice :/ I know most houses will get them, and their better to have than rats, but for the safety of your hamster I'd be catching and releasing as far away as possible.
spacebyte is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2017, 09:41 AM   #3
Drago
The Hamtologist
 
Drago's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Southern United States
Posts: 2,855
Default Re: mesh to keep mice out?

Do you currently have mice? If so, humane live traps would be the best solution. Remember when you trap them, to bring them a minimum of one mile away during the evening so they can find their way into a new territory. If humans live traps aren't available, instant kill ones would be the kindest option. You can get galvanized steel mesh at many hardware stores as well as online, I'll leave a link below. Make sure the holes are 1/4 to 1/2 inch spaced max.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00...TdL&ref=plSrch



https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01...rds=steel+mesh
Drago is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2017, 10:07 AM   #4
AmityvilleHams
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 4,545
Default Re: mesh to keep mice out?

1/4 inch would keep out mice for the most part,1/2 inch would not(even adults could squeeze through).Just keep that in mind
AmityvilleHams is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2017, 12:17 PM   #5
Pebbles82
Hamster Antics
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 23,533
Default Re: mesh to keep mice out?

Mesh sold to keep mice out of air vents is called 6mm mouse mesh. (Which is probably the same as 1/4 inch Amity mentioned lol).

I looked into it in some detail because we used to occasionally get mice. They can get through anything bigger than 7mm bar spacing and 6mm is ideal (hardly any cages with 6mm) because they can apparently push the bars apart if the bars aren't strong enough.

It sounds like the detolf with new 6mm mesh on would be the safest option for the hammy, until you get the problem sorted. 6mm mesh is quite hard to handle and bend though (stiff).

I have only seen the small pieces for air bricks available or 1 foot square sizes.

There is some here

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...words=6mm+mesh

You might still need to put something heavy on the edges of the detolf lids so they can't be pushed up.

Personally, when we had a mouse problem, we had to give up with humane mouse traps that catch them alive and went for the most humane option of killing them off, because they breed like wildfire. If you ever have one mouse, there will be more - at least one family of mice.

The most humane ones we found worked extremely quickly, sedating the mice virtually instantly and they died from the quick acting poison while sedated. You usually found them either still in the trap or very close to it. It's not pleasant but wild mice can spread a nasty disease (Tyzers disease) to hamsters.

The other advantage of these traps is you know where the dead mice are - with older style poisons (which are not humane) they can crawl away and die out of sight and then smell pretty bad. I used to just pick up the trap with the mouse in and chuck the whole lot - so you need a few - at least 4. We tried most kinds of trap and these are the go-to ones. Safe for people in the house as well as they are enclosed/sealed. The green stuff inside attracts the mice to eat it. You put them against the skirting board in an area you know the mice go (long side against the skirting board).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Home-Kitc...rds=Mouse+trap

It's why I always had a cage with 7mm bar spacing and cable tied any larger gaps at corners and doors Cable ties are just a deterrant though - a determined critter could chew through them but I've never had that problem.

The other option we used that worked (but isn't quite so safe if there are children around) was an electronic rat killer - it's like a big tunnel - you put chocolate spread at the end (works every time chocolate spread), the mice walk in and are zapped. It's supposed to kill instantly and you can catch quite a few mice in one trap. But it's quite expensive and if someone put their hand inside when it's switched on they'd get a nasty painful shock. And you need to leave it switched on really, or at least overnight. The advantage is - you don't have to see dead mice or remove them. You just pick the "tunnel" up and tip them out without looking.

We did actually catch a rat in ours once which was a bit scary but no more after that one and we suspected it was something bigger than a mouse after apples kept being stolen off the table!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pest-Stop-P...ronic+rat+trap

Last edited by Pebbles82; 03-07-2017 at 12:23 PM.
Pebbles82 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2017, 05:20 PM   #6
kittokitty
Adult Hamster
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: England
Posts: 368
Default Re: mesh to keep mice out?

Thanks for the advice! I'd like to avoid killing the mice as much as possible, I really wouldnt feel right about it - we're moving soon anyway, and we're trapping some with an old travel cage. There aren't all that many at the moment so hopefully it won't become that much of an issue I'll keep those in consideration though if there ends up being a lot of them!

I would just keep him in the bin cage for now, but I don't think 80x50's big enough for a Syrian, and his wheel takes up a lot of space (it's a large flying saucer wheel) ^^"
kittokitty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2017, 05:25 PM   #7
AmityvilleHams
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 4,545
Default Re: mesh to keep mice out?

Flying saucers aren't a good wheel anyways They're certainly no replacement for an upright wheel,at the very least.Getting an upright wheel as soon as possible is extremely important,as they actually allow for a natural running position unlike flying saucers which cause side arching and are nowhere near a natural running position.Upright wheels also take up much less room which is a definite bonus,since you can add far better enrichment like foraging areas for example!

You can always expand the bin eventually by direct attachment of several bins(in fact,it can go above and beyond the Detolf but be more mobile!).As long as you have secure attachment,use appropriately sized mesh,and don't attach with tubes(or any other way that is not direct,meaning large sections of walls only,no tiny holes and such!) this is a great choice for housing Syrians,as it can be expanded as needed unlike premade cages or something like the Detolf which would not be easy to expand(possible,but extremely heavy and impractical in sizing and shape).
AmityvilleHams is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2017, 05:34 PM   #8
kittokitty
Adult Hamster
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: England
Posts: 368
Default Re: mesh to keep mice out?

Quote:
Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams View Post
Flying saucers aren't a good wheel anyways They're certainly no replacement for an upright wheel,at the very least.Getting an upright wheel as soon as possible is extremely important,as they actually allow for a natural running position unlike flying saucers which cause side arching and are nowhere near a natural running position.Upright wheels also take up much less room which is a definite bonus,since you can add far better enrichment like foraging areas for example!

You can always expand the bin eventually by direct attachment of several bins(in fact,it can go above and beyond the Detolf but be more mobile!).As long as you have secure attachment,use appropriately sized mesh,and don't attach with tubes(or any other way that is not direct,meaning large sections of walls only,no tiny holes and such!) this is a great choice for housing Syrians,as it can be expanded as needed unlike premade cages or something like the Detolf which would not be easy to expand(possible,but extremely heavy and impractical in sizing and shape).
Attached cages don't really count as floor space imo, and it's a large flying saucer, not a medium one - his back is perfectly straight on it.
kittokitty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2017, 05:35 PM   #9
AmityvilleHams
PM Fluffy for custom title
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 4,545
Default Re: mesh to keep mice out?

I would agree,if they were actually modular in the same way that other cages are However it would be continuous space,not modular,therefore it would count as floor space.

Medium,large,etc all have the same issues.They're not a replacement for an upright wheel,regardless.
AmityvilleHams is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2017, 05:40 PM   #10
kittokitty
Adult Hamster
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: England
Posts: 368
Default Re: mesh to keep mice out?

Quote:
Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams View Post
I would agree,if they were actually modular in the same way that other cages are However it would be continuous space,not modular,therefore it would count as floor space.

Medium,large,etc all have the same issues.They're not a replacement for an upright wheel,regardless.
his running position on it is perfectly natural :\ i do watch my hamster use things to make sure theyre suitable. It's a matter of opinion whether an upright wheel or a flying saucer is better, so please don't try to tell me that as it it were a fact.

As for attaching bins (I must've misread your post, sorry about that) I don't really have the DIY skills or space.

I'm going to lock this thread now (if there's actually a way too) as this is getting off topic
kittokitty is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
cage, detolf, mesh, mice, side

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.43 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Copyright © 2003-2022, Hobby Solutions
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 10:30 AM.