The Fence Post

Keeping Mice, Chipmunks, Rats, and Squirrels Out

Hardware cloth saves the day again. Your compost bin will be safe from all kinds of rodents when you employ these tips and techniques. 

Giving Chipmunks the Heave-ho

An excellent method of using bird netting to make sure your seedlings and young plants aren't devoured by these little rascals.

Some Very Handy Tips

Wait for it! Some excellent hands-on help with managing hardware cloth.

Hardware Cloth is great for a variety of different applications, including:

• aviaries
• window guards
• screen door reinforcement
• exclusion screens for nuisance wildlife
• small animal cages
• shrub and tree protection
• sieves and strainers
• stucco mesh
• ferro-cement boats
• sculptures and other structures

These wire cloth meshes are not just available with galvanized-after finishes--hardware cloth is also available with vinyl-coated and stainless steel finishes. 

A Fence that Lasts

It's often electronics, sneakers, or designer gear, such as purses and clothing, when we hear about knockoffs or counterfeit goods. If there's a product, there's a knockoff. Seeking too-cheap-to-be-true goods have the pretense of high performance or exclusivity with an inexpensive price tag. Fence wire is not immune. However, with fence materials, toughness and longevity are foremost in our minds as consumers, compared to the passing fancies of designer goods. We expect a fence to stand up to various strains, and depending on the design, to last 25 to 50 years. Deficient materials and shabby construction will simply not stand up to:

• Corrosion
• The elements
• Physical abrasion

Dubious Sourcing

Internet shopping has accentuated this phenomenon, creating the possibility of a vast marketplace of readily available second-rate goods. Low-quality merchandise may look shiny out of the box or on the shelf at the store but hides a negligent system of manufacture. At the outset, these goods appear solid, but their quality readily reveals inferior grades of steel, subpar zinc coatings, and poor-quality PVC coatings. A history of weak labor laws, using exploited laborers, and the desperation for fast cash contribute to poorly-crafted goods; and regrettably, the backdrop of these companies may be hiding their participation in the use of child labor, human trafficking, organized crime, and even sponsors of terrorism. It requires a savvy consumer to discern value and avoid being suckered into such purchases. Realistic-sounding product reviews may not be authentic and not necessarily to be trusted. The purveyors of cheap imitations have also cunningly copied methods of advertising for distribution of shoddy and far-too-commonplace merchandise. 

Reliability

Tried and true companies that have stood the test of time are always the safe bet. When a company stands behind its products, has a track record for integrity and high standards right up the supply chain, you are in safe hands. You want a provider of goods that you can trust, accurately boasting well-sourced products and a history of sound business practices. 

Founded in 1893, Louis Page Inc. has stood the test of time. Today, it is a 100% woman-owned business and boasts a large and diverse customer base that includes all 50 states and several foreign countries. This customer base includes fence companies, contractors, government entities, construction companies, manufacturers, landscapers, nurseries, energy producers, architects, wildlife management companies, pest control companies, zoos, beagle trainers, duck farms, farms, ranches,  orchards, homeowners, and many more. Louis Page distributes and sells the industry’s leading brands of wire and plastic fences, mesh and netting, and other related products made in the US, Belgium, Italy, Canada, China, Mexico, and other countries.

A Few Examples

Class 3 Galvanized Mesh--When it comes to coatings, you don't want to mess around with substandard issues. Class 1 wire coating uses 0.28 ounces of zinc per square foot, whereas Class 3 uses a thicker coating of 0.80 ounces per square foot. It costs slightly more than Class 1, but is much stronger and will last anywhere from 13 to 30 years before it rusts, making it well worth the investment.

Vinyl Coated - Also called PVC or UPVC coating, vinyl is the strongest wire coating of all when it comes to standing up against the elements. A thick, flexible PVC layer is added to the Class 3 galvanized wire. That way, not only is it rust-resistant, it also stands up to extreme temperatures, as well as UV rays and even physical abrasions against the fence. Plus, its unique flexibility means it won’t crack when the wire is bent. The coating is so tightly bonded that it resists scraping. It cannot be easily scraped off with a fingernail and will not peel off easily. Generally available in either black or green, vinyl is the strongest, most durable, longest-lasting wire coating you can buy.

Hardware Cloth - known also as industrial wire cloth. This can be difficult to find and purchase. The mesh sizes available range from 1 mesh (1") down to 100 mesh (100 openings per inch). Wire diameters used in these products range from .331 inch ( gauge) down to .003 inch ( gauge). Finer meshes from 120 down to 500 openings per inch are also available. The wire diameters used are .0037 ( gauge) to .001 ( gauge). These specifications are often called filter cloth or fine mesh wire cloth. In addition to regular steel, these specialized meshes can be made with any kind of metal that can be drawn into wire, including stainless steel, brass, bronze, aluminum, and copper. Louis Page can help you track down the real McCoy for your particular needs. 

Testing

UL (Underwriters Laboratory) is a company that evaluates wire and cable products under more than 70 different product categories, using more than 30 Standards for Safety. Their Verification programs cover safety, performance, quality assurance, unannounced factory follow-up inspection, and follow-up testing at UL. Their program helps consumers, distributors, and manufacturers identify wire and cabling products that meet nationally recognized safety requirements as well as industry specifications for performance and quality. Customers rely on the safety of products that carry the UL Mark.

Hungry and Speedy

Seriously cute and seriously annoying, chipmunks are a major discourager for the home gardener. Their diet includes much of what you plant in your garden and around your house. To survive the winter, they of course harvest nuts in autumn, but their spring and summer diet is supplemented with the berries, vegetables, and bulbs that you hold dear. 

Fence Strategies

To ward off chipmunks from your veggie or berry patch--strong, galvanized hardware cloth is the answer--¼ inch hardware cloth buried 6 to 12 inches deep and 2½ to 3 feet above ground. This ¼ inch hardware cloth will also keep other small rodents at bay. As added insurance against these intruders, attach 12 inches of metal flashing around the top of the hardware cloth--though admittedly unattractive, its wobbling and seeming instability deter squirrels and chipmunks. 

Also, vinyl-coated hardware cloth is an excellent option, offering many advantages:

• durable
• longest lifetime
• easy to work with
• excellent for underground barriers
• double protection of galvanizing and vinyl coating resists rust and corrosion
• attractive - black color blends with the background, becoming virtually invisible

For sealing up openings to buildings, use ¼ inch hardware cloth to keep out rodents and chipmunks.

There are other specifications of hardware wire cloth in addition to these - different gauges, different metals, and woven meshes. Contact Louis Page for further information.

To conclude, watch a chipmunk in full harvest mode using those amazing cheek pouches:

P.S. And if you're struggling with squirrels, hardware cloth is a great help here, too. Here's a quick video with a simple home remedy for keeping squirrels out: 

Haunting Cityscape with Lighted Chicken Wire 

Cédric Le Borgne is an innovative artist from Toulouse, France and this display shows how he has taken ordinary chicken wire and made something extraordinary out of it. Here is a short video of one of his exhibitions by night:

To see some other innovators using chicken wire, check out this blog.