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Critter Protection for the beds - new design
+4
herblover
Ginger Blue
yolos
sanderson
8 posters
Page 1 of 1
Critter Protection for the beds - new design
I saw this on Facebook, and with the designer's permission, I am posting here. All four sides can be opened. Design by Michael Quentin Fey. 

Directions:
"4ft long, 18" tall, 24" long dowel rods (1" diameter)
5" PVC sections with 1" internal diameter. Hardware cloth cut to 17"x4ft sections and stapled. I predrilled everything before screwing. Made each side individually, brought the section to the box, kept the rods in the PVC before mounting the brackets. It is important to label side each with corresponding PVC for the gates to fit properly. They aren't interchangeable."


Directions:
"4ft long, 18" tall, 24" long dowel rods (1" diameter)
5" PVC sections with 1" internal diameter. Hardware cloth cut to 17"x4ft sections and stapled. I predrilled everything before screwing. Made each side individually, brought the section to the box, kept the rods in the PVC before mounting the brackets. It is important to label side each with corresponding PVC for the gates to fit properly. They aren't interchangeable."
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
Got to thinking. For those who mow around the beds, the 1" PVC holders could be secured inside the beds, making adjustments to the size so the gates can fit. Sort of like I do with my "cup bolders", only those I install in the inside corners and mid way on long beds.
yolos-
Posts : 4152
Join date : 2011-11-20
Age : 73
Location : Brooks, Ga Zone 7B/8A
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
Funny you would post this today, because I was thinking of something like this last night.
From the angle of the photo, it's hard to tell what the corners look like. Is there a small gap between the gate supports at each corner, where mice, voles, or other small creatures could squeeze in? If so, would mounting the gates from inside the box remedy that?
From the angle of the photo, it's hard to tell what the corners look like. Is there a small gap between the gate supports at each corner, where mice, voles, or other small creatures could squeeze in? If so, would mounting the gates from inside the box remedy that?
Ginger Blue-
Posts : 281
Join date : 2016-06-02
Location : New Hampshire, Zone 4
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
Very nice! I have 4x1 wooden frames topped with 3' high chicken wire which works well. They are new this year because my old ones finally fell apart and the wire was all bent in. I think I had shorter wire before as well.
herblover-
Posts : 577
Join date : 2010-03-27
Age : 61
Location : Central OH
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
I think the craftsmanship is what will determine whether anything can squeeze in between the corners, whether inside or outside. Or, put screws part way in on the tops and bind together with a Goody elastic.
Mice can climb up anything, so a matching lid would be needed to be mouse/rat proof. I even had one dig under the open-bottom worm bin to get to the new food, so hardware cloth on the bottom would also be needed.
Mice can climb up anything, so a matching lid would be needed to be mouse/rat proof. I even had one dig under the open-bottom worm bin to get to the new food, so hardware cloth on the bottom would also be needed.
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
A hook and an eye holding the sides tightly together could easily be added to easily open the sides when needed.
yolos-
Posts : 4152
Join date : 2011-11-20
Age : 73
Location : Brooks, Ga Zone 7B/8A
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
Who can come up with an addition to this design to keep squirrels out as well? What type of removable top could be added that would not hinder the sunlight?
Your dog looks like he/she is posing and smiling for the camera. Give him/her a pet for me. Dogs are the best people.
Your dog looks like he/she is posing and smiling for the camera. Give him/her a pet for me. Dogs are the best people.
Banned Member-
Posts : 144
Join date : 2017-03-30
Location : Yerucham
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
Make a panel just like the sides (without the dowels) and just lay it on the top. Or make a critter cage like what is in Mel's book. This is the design. Complements of Trolleydriver in his thread A First Time SFG in Canada. Of course this would depend on how big of a bed you are trying to cover.TNGeezer wrote:Who can come up with an addition to this design to keep squirrels out as well? What type of removable top could be added that would not hinder the sunlight?
Your dog looks like he/she is posing and smiling for the camera. Give him/her a pet for me. Dogs are the best people.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t19481-a-first-time-sfg-in-canada

yolos-
Posts : 4152
Join date : 2011-11-20
Age : 73
Location : Brooks, Ga Zone 7B/8A
sanderson likes this post
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
+1yolos wrote:Make a panel just like the sides (without the dowels) and just lay it on the top. Or make a critter cage like what is in Mel's book. This is the design. Complements of Trolleydriver in his thread A First Time SFG in Canada. Of course this would depend on how big of a bed you are trying to cover.TNGeezer wrote:Who can come up with an addition to this design to keep squirrels out as well? What type of removable top could be added that would not hinder the sunlight?
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t19481-a-first-time-sfg-in-canada
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
I've done well keeping squirrels out using Mel's hoop tunnels with some netting thrown over it. Keep it tight so they can't find an opening and then they don't bother.
CC
CC
CapeCoddess- Posts : 6824
Join date : 2012-05-20
Age : 67
Location : elbow of the Cape, MA, Zone 6b/7a
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
The hinge affair on the Conestoga type makes a lot more sense than the flap down front we made, which is a pain to lift up out of the way.
That's mostly because right now, I have a green house plastic cover on for winter. It also has zippers and a like fold back opening on the front. Only we didn't get the seams / zippers lined up correctly. (We put the chicken wire on in Summer, while the covers were stowed away. Forgot the zippers weren't at the corners.)
If the cage hinged out of the way, the covers would just stay in place, and hinge out with them. Better winter access. Thanks,
forwarded photo.
That's mostly because right now, I have a green house plastic cover on for winter. It also has zippers and a like fold back opening on the front. Only we didn't get the seams / zippers lined up correctly. (We put the chicken wire on in Summer, while the covers were stowed away. Forgot the zippers weren't at the corners.)
If the cage hinged out of the way, the covers would just stay in place, and hinge out with them. Better winter access. Thanks,

Soose- Posts : 409
Join date : 2022-02-23
Location : North Alabama
sanderson likes this post
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
Exactly. I actually keep the burlap/plastic in place over the chicken wire with bungee cords across from front to back (maybe 3). I started similarly to you, holding the flap up with a stick while I'm trying to nip leaves (and getting poked by free ends of the chicken wire). The hinges are simple - nothing extravagant. A couple of conduit clamps and a scrap of 2x4.




Frost?-
Posts : 138
Join date : 2022-03-02
Age : 68
Location : Inverness, FL: USA
sanderson and Soose like this post
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
Thanks, Frost, I was wondering about hinges on the Conestoga style.
Soose- Posts : 409
Join date : 2022-02-23
Location : North Alabama
Re: Critter Protection for the beds - new design
Soose wrote:Thanks, Frost, I was wondering about hinges on the Conestoga style.
My pleasure. Everything I do is on the cheap!
Frost?-
Posts : 138
Join date : 2022-03-02
Age : 68
Location : Inverness, FL: USA
sanderson and Soose like this post

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