Do i need lids for mice?

[Beardedragon]

I have a 55 gallon tote that is pretty tall, if ive got mice in it do i really need a lid? I know for a fact nothing will be able to get in( because of where i keep them) or be able to tip it over or have the mice jump out.

It would help me air out the tank and would be less work for me( not that its hard to open a lid, its just where i have them it could be a hazard!)

[Argentra]

Be safe and put a screen lid on there. You don't have to clip it, but have it. Trust me, mice can leap a lot further and higher than most people expect.

Better yet, save more money and back pain and put the mice in tubs with screen on the top sides and lids. Again, trust me...cleaning of mice is an every few days thing, and with a massive tank you'll be hurtin. I keep my breeder trios and litters in 26"x15"x10" tubs and the weaned adults in slightly smaller ones.



You could even build a small rack setup if you wanted to. There are plenty of threads here that detail the building of such things. I just like giving my mice more room and toys and such.

[Beardedragon]

Alright, could i put on the lid and just drill a million holes into it? Or would there be to much amonia(sp) build up?

[Dcommander]

maybe biulding a mesh lid will be helpfull and it is almost as having no lid...

[GirDance]

If your enclosure is anything more than 10 inches you shouldn't need a lid for mice unless you give them things they can stack or climb

[Argentra]

Yep, mesh lid. You can't see it too well on mine, but they all have hardware cloth in the lids and sides. I'll get a better picture soon.

Essentially, a soldering iron is your best friend. You solder out most of the center of the lid and then use the cut piece as a template on the mesh leaving at least three or four squares around it for attachment. Then you mark holes for wire and thread the wire through to secure the mesh. Then I do the same on the long sides of the tub near the top for added ventilation and to let them climb, which they love. Works great and only takes an evening of work to put one tub together.

Tell you what, I'll go get some good focused pics of the tubs now...

[Argentra]

Ok, here are those pics:

First, the side view


And the end view


The wire is woven through the holes, an idea I got from Ginevive. Works wonderfully and doesn't kill your hands.
Those tubs are light, easy to clean (I just rinse em well in the bathtub then spray with Chlorhexidine) and give the mice lots of room without taking up too much space.

[Beardedragon]

Those are nice, but explain how you wove the wire through the holes?

[Argentra]

I thought you'd ask that.

Ok, you start by marking the holes on the inside of the tub with the mesh in place. I use a pen and scratch the marks every sixth hole with a set of two holes in a diagonal, as can be seen in the pix.

After melting the holes, I secure the mesh temporarily to the inside so it won't move around with open zip ties (in other words, just thread the zip tie through the holes 'U' style and it will hold the wire in place), then run the wire around the holes to 'measure' the length I need. I use a spool of basic hardware wire and run it along the holes all the way around with a little extra for securing at the end.

Then comes the fun part. From the inside of the tub poking out, thread the end of the wire through one corner hole leaving a bit of a tail, then proceed to weave the wire through all the holes from inside to out so the long pieces of wire going from one set of holes to another is on the outside, like in the pix. Pull it tight with a pair of pliers as you go, and then attach the two tail ends when they meet by twisting them and finish by tucking the twisted end against the tub.

I hope that was understandable... I have a horrible time explaining things. If you need clarification, don't hesitate to ask.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

You can put a lid or do this

This is the rat version but it can be done for mice also all you need 1/3 or 1/4 hardware cloth and shorter tub, so you can put the bottle on the top



Personnally I rather put 4 pieces of wood together real quick than cut trough those tub's lids