Wiktionary
hardware cloth
n. 1 (context uncountable English) A flexible wire-mesh material. consisting of loosely woven wires in a simple rectangular grid. 2 (context countable English) A type of such fabric, differentiated by material, coating, wire diameter, and mesh size.
Usage examples of "hardware cloth".
Having determined that rats are in the building, we first caulk up the rat holes leading in from outdoors, using steel wool (a temporary measure), cement (where appropriate), tin, or a meshlike material called hardware cloth.
Think of tiny insects and how simple it is for them to pass through hardware cloth.