bird netting

[Joe c]

Just wondering what I need to use bird netting on? As its going to get quite expensive I I have to use it on everything!

Cheers guys

[Fleurisa]

Fruit in summer and brassicas in autumn/winter

[bario1]

I would use it on strawberries in the summer, and brassicas all year round.

[Guest]

Have you spoken to other allotmenteers to see what the biggest pests are?

Deer/ rabbit - net everything
Pigeons - net brassicas etc. etc.

other pests will need other solutions from netting

mice/rats - trap/poison
foxes - urine/ covering sowings with holly
types of fly/ butterfly - fleece/micromesh etc. etc.

[Scarlet]

Look at debris netting used by scaffolders. I bought mine on line, I think I got a 50metre roll and split it with a fellow grape but you can get it in shorter lengths too. Brilliant stuff.

[Kristen]

I don't use scaffolders debris netting in winter 'coz any snow mounds up, rather than passing through [wider-mesh bird netting] and is inclined to collapse the netting, supports and plants

Other makes of Winter, without Snow, are also available ... and preferred!!

[Alison]

I use enviromesh over frames my brassicas all year apart from in the potential snowy season. Then for the lower level stuff I just take out the frames and lay the mesh straight over (cabbages etc) but replace the stuff over PSB etc with wider stuff.

[hellybore]

Please make sure you secure your netting properly so that birds don't get caught in it. I had to release another bird from my neighbouring plot's dodgey netting recently - a robin this time. Luckily he was ok.

[Alicante]

I use it to protect gooseberries and red currants, strangely the pigeons here leave my raspberries and strawberries alone. I also net all of the brassicas I grow otherwise I would be left with nothing but the roots.
This year the pigeons also ate all of my pea seedlings. I planted the peas at home because the soil was so wet and transplanted them out. I didn't cover them as they had never been eaten before. Two days later nothing was left! I was really annoyed with myself and next year I will cover the seedlings up. When they are larger the pea plants can take a bit of damage, I think it is just the tender new and tasty shoots the birds like.
Hope this helps

[Kristen]

strangely the pigeons here leave my raspberries and strawberries alone ...
This year the pigeons also ate all of my pea seedlings

Birds stripped all my Summer fruiting Raspberries (unprotected) this year, its not happened before.

My thought was that with the mild winter whatever their normal food was, for the time of year, was absent / earlier / whatever, and hence they ate my Raspberries instead ...

Perhaps same with your Peas? and beware that your Raspberries and Strawbs might be in line next year!

[KevinM67]

Please make sure you secure your netting properly so that birds don't get caught in it. I had to release another bird from my neighbouring plot's dodgey netting recently - a robin this time. Luckily he was ok.

I continually have to do this

[Alison]

I continually have to do this

That's another one of the reasons I like enviromesh, birds can't get caught in it as its too fine.

[Alicante]

Birds stripped all my Summer fruiting Raspberries (unprotected) this year, its not happened before.

My thought was that with the mild winter whatever their normal food was, for the time of year, was absent / earlier / whatever, and hence they ate my Raspberries instead ...

Perhaps same with your Peas? and beware that your Raspberries and Strawbs might be in line next year!

I know, you are spot on! I think my autumn raspberries will be ok, not touched by birds for the ten years i have had a plot on this site, but the strawberries are another matter. Last year was the first year I had grown them for a while and they far too nice to risk bird damage. I think i will be getting a net for them.

[KevinM67]

To answer the original question - my allotment has really been a bit of trial and error over the years trying to combat the various wildlife (I don't like calling them pests) from helping themselves.

The great thing is you can get really creative and imaginative about building structures against it, without costing the earth (roaming about on this site, gives me great ideas).

As time goes by - I'd be thinking about using a mixture of fine netting like debris netting against butterflies and wire netting against bigger things (but still allows pollinators, etc.) Again, collecting various bits of reclaimed stuff, you can start creating permanent and semi-permanent cages to help you.

It really is great fun once you get started - especially, for an office-bod like myself.

[Knight of Albion]

That's another one of the reasons I like enviromesh, birds can't get caught in it as its too fine.

Yes, thank you for highlighting the issue.

Saw a pigeon yesterday on my travels. It had elephantitis in one of its feet. i.e. the foot had got caught up in netting of some sort and had swelled to double the size. Poor soul. Must have been in terrible pain.
Eventually the leg will rot and drop off.

So everyone, PLEASE if you're going to use netting, make sure it's bird friendly.