Rodent Proof Greenhouse

When we planted our summer seedlings this year we had some issues with mice in the greenhouse eating the larger seeds that we planted. Our pumpkin, courgette and cucumber seeds were being targeted and eaten each night so after the second time of refilling our seedling trays I decided to make a mouse-proof section of our greenhouse.

There are a few mice living in the stone wall that forms the north side of our greenhouse so we know they are present constantly. They were only eating the larger seeds, and a tray with half cucumber half lettuce had been completely dug up on the cucumber side, but left untouched on the lettuce side so we were confident in leaving most of our seedling trays outside the mouse-proof table we created here. Since using this table we have had no more issues so here is how we did it. All materials apart from the wire mesh were recycled or left over from building our house.

I used a door for the table surface. It was a good size and can hold about 8 or 9 seedling trays.

For the legs I used the wood which we took out of our barn when we renovated the roof and floor. The legs are simply drilled using long screws from the top of the table down. To make them strong I used the metal bars in an X formation on the ends, and at diagonals on sides of the table. These took the legs from a bit wobbly, to extremely sturdy.

To create the hoops I used our electricity conduit leftovers. Any sturdy irrigation tube would do though, or even strong wire. As you can see between each hoop, attached to the table horizontally is a piece of conduit which closes the gaps.

Next up was the wire mesh. I bought as small a hole mesh as I possibly could. I did not think it was quite small enoughto stop a baby mouse so I doubled it up. I closed one end in order not to have to make two doors. I felt the door would be the major weak point which would offer most opportunities for gaps, so I only made one end with a door, and planned to push the trays out with a stick to reach the furthest ones when they were ready.

And finally the door. I made it using wood panels, secured to the table with two hinges. I used more conduit to create a hoop shape on the door to really hug in tight with the mesh roof.