Even netting has limitations, for complete assurance you'd have to build permanent cages over the planting.

I tried the fake birds and only the netting did the job. The only case where a bird scare worked was I put some old CD's on strings in my plum trees and that worked to keep the birds off.

Scott

Wedding net or tulle, sold with fabrics, is much easier to handle compared to bird netting. It doesn't get stuck in branches, and hummingbirds don't get stuck in it. You can secure it around a bluberry bush with clothespins.

Thanks for that tip planatus. I am going to give that a try.

Not sure if it's the same material planatus mentioned, but we use "sheers" (that white material that's hung behind curtains). Got a pile of it from Goodwill for a couple of bucks.

Thanks for that tip planatus. I am going to give that a try.

One thing to consider when using sheer material -- around here anyway, there's enough rain that cloth with small holes (smaller than bird netting) often does not allow for adequate airflow - resulting in more disease problems.

I'd like to protect my fruit from birds. Strawberries, raspberries, and in the future cherries (dwarf) and blueberries. Bird Netting seems to be the obvious choice, but it is expensive, and reports are that birds get their head and beaks caught in it. So, something like tulle may be an alternative. However, the holes in the tulle mesh are smaller. Will the denser fabric be a problem for 1) letting rain in 2) allowing the soil to dry out 3) Allowing bees and other pollinating insects inside?
Here's a link to some fabric I was considering: http://www.fabricdirect.com/cgi/sh000015.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2efabricdirect%2ecom%2f&WD=tulle&SHOP=%20&PN=nylon%2dNetting%2dIvory%2ehtml%23a00018206#a00018206

Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.

Here is a link that might be useful: Netting fabric

I use the smaller netting usually described as pond netting. The holes are 3/8" which seems to prevent birds from getting stuck in it. Plus, it's available in a 28' x 45' length which makes it long enough to go up, over, and down a row of bushes with t-post supports.

Cindy

Here is a link that might be useful: Amazon

I use woven netting which is far superior to black mono-filament in that you can throw it over trees without a frame. It doesn't get nearly as tangled in branches.

For blueberries I make a frame anyway because of the frequent harvests and small stature of the plants. The other materials mentioned must wear out very quickly as they aren't made for weather and sun.

For my own plants (I manage orchards for other people for a living) I built a very crude chicken wire house with raw cedar posts. Took me a few hours and now I have 20 years of protection and plenty of room to move around the plants. This is the best way to go IMO if you have the time.

You can use black plastic coated 1" chicken wire and it will last for 40 years as long as it's strong enough to support snow. I just stick a bunch of poles under the roof of mine in the fall so the construction could be simple.

Harvestman-

Where do you get your woven netting? What size are the spaces?

Cindy

I think the spacing is about an inch. Yes, getting the netting is the problem, come to think of it, because it tends to come in expensive 700' rolls. It's what commercial grape growers often use- know any?

Tree shelter company distributes it and may know a source for smaller pieces. I found my roll by searching the internet and have had 2 computers crash since the purchase and lost track. Sorry to offer an idea that might not be useful.

Harvestman, will the 1 inch hex wire keep small birds out?

absolutely, if they can't climb under it

Redskinsnut, I have u-picked in a lot of orchards in Michigan and have seen alot of them use metallic ribbons with old CD's tied to them-this seems to work for them!