First of all, Ash...

!!!!
I haven't worked with tile like that, but I know one or more of the members here will come to your rescue quickly with an answer. Maybe the answer is to adhere the tile with the mesh attached. Hmmmm I have a lot to learn too!

What's your project? 1000 pieces of tile? Wow! Be sure to post pictures when you can!

Welcome, ASH: I, too, hate those tiles on the mesh, but you buy what you can buy for the colors. I take the sissors to them, and leave the mesh on. Sometimes I cut them in strips, and apply the whole strip, or cut what I need while I'm using them. I'm thinking that your adhesive is a good thing, so I wouldn't worry about it.

I too cut them, or if the mesh is a mess (I gt mine used) used can usually soak them in water.

i also got some tiles on mesh. and i did all work by hand to remove them, but sometimes bits if mesh or glue still stayed on tiles.
it's ok when you have large projects but what do u do when you need to also cut tiles? like i do.
i also tried soaking them in water but didn't see a good improvement. and moreover, sometimes water made the mesh fall apart and when i removed tiles, bits/strings of mesh remained on the tiles.
so i decided removing it when dry is still ok. and i just use my hands. some glue remains won't bother me, but bits of strings/mesh WILL.

I am like the rest and cut mine into strips and then cut what I need. The mesh left on the back doesn't hurt anything. If you just want them off, soak them in hot water and a little Dawn. They will come off easily. I read about someone that put hers in a big pot and covered with water and boiled them off but I think that is a little extreme. Welcome and good luck.

Thanks for all of the advice and the welcome. I soaked in alcohol and that did pretty well and worked pretty quickly. I'm going to be cutting them so I do need to remove the majority of the mesh before hand. Sometimes the string stays on but that's only if I cut the mesh first. I've I put a big piece in it comes off immediately and with little trouble. The adhesive is white on the back until it dries and then (of course) it's invisible.

Thanks for all of your advice. Hopefully in the weeks to come I will have a WIP!

I tried removing the mesh and the glue today, with various substances. (Searching for a solution is what got me here in the first place.) I needed a solution for completely cleaning the tiles, since I'll be gluing them with the back (the glued face) upwards.

What worked best was plain old vinegar. It's not completely hassle free, but it's still (and by far) the easiest way to deal with the problem, of all things I tried. After a few hours of soaking the tile, while still sticking to the tile, the glue becomes non-adhesive and can be easily rubbed off with your fingers. I did it under water, so that the pieces of glue would quickly float away and the tile would get rinsed in the process too.

Petrol-based thinner and acetone did nothing (except stink horribly). Dish washer detergent soaked it, but left it still somewhat sticky. Rubbing alcohol made it swollen and transparent - and also still sticky, and extremely goey. Boiling the tiles in water, or water with vinegar, softened the glue enough to make it removable, but only for as long as the tiles were still hot, and also left it sticky. With all methods but soaking in vinegar for a few hours I had to rub the tiles with an old toothbrush, while rubbing once or twice across with your fingers is enough for the tiles soaked a few hours in vinegar. You should be able to easily clean a few hundred tiles per hour, with this method. (Not that it is any fun, though.)

Ummm... people, I have zero experience with this, but—isn't the whole point of the mesh to make it easier to apply? In other words, you just leave it on and apply it in one piece, right??

Elaine & Glen Hester: depends what you want to do. I needed to rearrange them, and didn't want the spacing.

Thanks!! ive been struggling with this myself as I want to use 1" mosaic tiles individually and thus far ive only been cutting them and trimming the mesh back to the edge and then using sandpaper to grind it all back on the edges so it isnt visible when applied. Yay for google, houzz, and vinegar!!!!