Raccoon proof? re: mesh for home made cage

My husband is building a double outside cage and I want to use this plastic chicken wire and wondered if anyone had any thoughts on it before we install it? I have a pond and have raccoons who visit almost every night and I want to protect the chams from them. This is a quite thick and tough material.
Any input would be appreciated!
Thank you

I would think that if a racoon really wanted in they could chew through it. I've seen racoons get into some pretty strange places. Have you looked at chicken wire? It's basically the same thing as that, but made from wire.

By double cage do you mean it will have 2 layers of screening? If so I would do chicken wire on the outside and that on the second layer.

btw, i hate racoons >.< I grew up in the country and they got into EVERYTHING!!! lol

I would bet a racoon would have no problem chewing through that.

Its plastic, If I took some time I could chew through it!



I would say that would be good for the inside layer( easy on the chams feet), but for the exterior I would use a tighter woven metal screen, like the kind that has 1/4" spacing.

Like this, for the exterior.....




-Jay

guaranteed, rats, racoons or any sort of weasle type critter can get right through, pretty much any type of all poly or all plastic mesh, i would suggest instead a galvanized vynil coated hardware cloth like the , the 1/2" mesh pictured in this photo, it is designed to keep critters out , i would also recomend avoiding uncoated galvanized hardware cloth as it is coverd in zinc which is toxic in moderate quantities, and subject to osmotic absorbtion [absorbtion through the skin, (especially when wet )] that also makes it bad to drink water that has been in contact with the wire, the vynil coated wire (in my picture) is coated in pvc (polyvynilchloride), which is also toxic and subject to osmotic absorbtion (especially when wet ) in either case crawling on, or drinking from the wire should be discouraged (which is possible with the right design considerations), the black plastic mesh you have pictured is most likely PE (polyethelene) which is relatively non toxic (even when wet , and far less subject to osmotic absobtion than the other two , but it wont keep out chewing critters that are determined to get in ,. one option would be to cover the outside of the frame with the vynil coated wire (to keep critters out ) and cover the inside of the frame with non toxic black pe plastic mesh for your critters to crawl on, however that requires twice the material and substailly increases the cost (the vynil coated hardware cloth is about $15-20 for 3x8' piece) of course there is another problem free option , that would be welded stainless (304 not 316 ) 1/2" wire mesh, or available in almost any mesh size, but the cost is prohibitive , about $7-9 sq ft + shipping, but it is problem free, other than cost.plus the cost of any of these materials can be substantially reduced by buying it in bulk rolls usually 100'/ chicken wire is also galvanized (zinc coated) and rats can get through anything larger than 5/8" mesh (like chicken wire)so 1/2"mesh size would be my max recomended mesh size. the place to go for all things wire mesh (including generall information) is; http://www.twpinc.com/ feel free to repost or pm if you have any specific plastic or wire mesh questions ps i know there are going to be all kinds of people telling me how they have not had any problems with outdoor enclosures using plastic or galvanized mesh , but that doesnt change the facts, a person could get lucky , or they could go all season with no problems , and come home one day to find out the hard way, so the no problem argument is just an accident/problem waiting to happen in my book. View attachment 15171

I don't think a raccoon is gonna go after a cham over smelly trash..... just remember to always throw something yummy out each night

I think that will work if you use enough staples. sure they can chew through.... but I don't think they'll wanna work that hard to investigate a cage....

I would use staples, the kind you put in a staple gun... and those U shaped nails... the U shaped nails should be used in the corners and maybe a couple in between long lengths and then fill in with staple gun type staples. If you wanna go nuts... you could double up and offset the mesh so the gaps are smaller... it'll help keep smaller things out and make it twice as hard to get through....

LOL totally off topic and a ramble...but I did that sort of thing on my car... I made a mesh grill that sits on my intercooler to keep rocks out. its just 1/4" wire mesh... with a second layer staggered so the openings are now 1/8" and it catches EVERYTHING and keeps my intercooler clean of ANY dings from stones. I find all sorts of things in there... bees, weird looking bugs, stones, sticks.... I should have made something like it for the A/C condenser..... but too late now. Maybe I will lay on the ground and straighten the fins one day and then put up a mesh gaurd...

I don't live somewhere where there are raccoons.

But if I did then I would use two layers of the stuff in Malicious' photo above so if a Cham was climbing the side of the enclosure, the raccoon couldn't get to his feet. I'd image it could do considerable damage in a short amount of time if the enclosure wasnt set up like this and the Cham was caught climbing the sides.

hahaha

Dude, i think your chameleon can chew through that.

JabbaThePanther said:

Dude, i think your chameleon can chew through that.

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Actually, the plastic is quite thick. Don't think a chameleon or a really bored human could chew through it.

summoner12 said:

I would use staples, the kind you put in a staple gun... and those U shaped nails... the U shaped nails should be used in the corners and maybe a couple in between long lengths and then fill in with staple gun type staples. If you wanna go nuts... you could double up and offset the mesh so the gaps are smaller... it'll help keep smaller things out and make it twice as hard to get through....

Click to expand...

Thanks Kevin,
That's a good idea. I may double that up (I will have extra) or put screen inside the mesh. I started thinking that they might be able to put their whole hand thru those holes.

I have had some luck with that type of screen with keeping rabbits out, however, I have not seen any raccoons where I live.

JabbaThePanther said:

Dude, i think your chameleon can chew through that.

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The "hahaha" was unnecessary and rude.

Do you have any experience with the posted mesh??

I use a similar plastic hardware cloth you have pictured for my outdoor cages, however I have a large German Shepherd who enjoys tearing raccoons into many pieces. This seems to have discouraged the raccoon population from coming near my yard.

Another good deterrent is to trap the raccoons and then fill a garbage can full of water and place the raccoon filled cage into the can....

Yea, I really love raccoons!

.....

In all honesty though, I don't think a raccoon would try to get into a chameleon cage. They are scavengers who just want your trash can or any dog/cat food that is left out.

Surfrat said:

They are scavengers who just want your trash can or any dog/cat food that is left out.

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Great point, in other words make sure the cage is always left clean and smelling good! +1

Raccoons are above all curious, Having owned one for ten years they can get just about anywhere they want. Remember they don't have to get in the cage to cause a problem if they catch the cham on the side of the cage they will chew parts off of them.