Half-inch hardware cloth: OK for mouseguard?

[Ben Brewcat]

I know, it's late . Life interfered with my beekeeping. But I'm heading to the outyards this weekend and am fabricating mouseguards (yes, I'll check!) out of 1/2" hardware cloth thinking that'll be small enough. Right?

[iddee]

Put a few mice in a cage of 1/2 inch hardware and get ready to chase them all over the house.

Don't ask!!!

[Ben Brewcat]

Um, training the cat to hold a point while you reload?

So that's a "no" vote on the half-inch...

[iddee]

They do make a 1/3 inch. Try Ace hardware. That's what I made my mice cages with after the 1/2 inch failure.

[xC0000005]

I'm with iddee on this one - the field mice won't break a sweat oozing through your hardware cloth like it isn't even there. You could double the cloth and stagger it in an emergency.

[denny]

I put some 1/4" hardware cloth on the entrances of a few nucs that I'm overwintering, and the bees were able to go in & out no sweat. They also have a 3/4" hole in upper front side.

[Michael Bush]

I've always used 1/4". I've never tried 1/2" but I've seen mice go through much smaller holes than that.

[alpha6]

Top entrance....and a cat.

[Dave W]

Well, iddee and I now have "something in common"

Many years ago I raised mice and rats.

Even newborn rats can squeeze through 1/2" x 1/2" squares.

[Michael Palmer]

I use 1/2". Don't have problems with mice getting in. Like it better than 3/8 because the bees can clean out the dead more easily. They can't hardly get a bee through 3/8, and I wouldn't think they could drag a dead bee through 1/4" mesh.

[Dan Williamson]

I also use 1/2". Works fine. I've not had a mouse get thru it. Just make a wedge and shove it in. Easiest mouse guard I've ever used.

[Dave W]

"Wunder" how may hives never have "mouse problems" even without a mouse guard??????