Rodent proofing new avairy

[Labbie]

Hi I'm going to be setting up my first aviary soon and would like some advice on rodent proofing. I will be putting in mesh under the ground but have been told this does not work.
Any other ideas?
Thanks

 

[Dinosrawr]

Rodents are incredible and can chew, dig, and destroy any mesh barrier you're thinking of. That, and they can also fit through incredibly tiny holes. I recommend using cement or cinderblocks. On a group that I follow, someone had a rat dig 14" underground along the cinder blocks to try and get into her outdoor aviary.

You can use mesh, but you need to ensure you surround the mesh in loose gravel that will fill any holes that rodents dig/chew. You can place the mesh along the perimeter, but it's also recommended to place it a foot below the surface inside the aviary as well for an extra security measure in case they do breach the perimeter.

If you can, the best thing you can do is pour a cement slab and lay a cinderblock perimeter barrier that goes underground and above ground as well to create a wall. That way nothing can crawl through the cage above or below ground.