Building a fruit cage

[Storm]

I am building a fruit cage and am unsure which gauge wire to use for the sides and top. I was going to use chicken wire.

If i use the small-holed wire then no birds could get in - not even the ones that eat all the pest insects and caterpillars. So would it be better to use larger gauge wire with slightly larger holes to let the insect eaters in or simply to have no birds in at all?

Any help appreciated!

Cheers.

[Two_Sheds]

Best to have no birds at all.
Last summer I was forever releasing trapped birds. They get inside OK, then panic & can't get out again. Some will die of thirst or exhaustion.

[bobleponge]

I remember reading somewhere something I thought to be a very good idea. You make your cage with small guage wire, allowing no birds in, but you make the roof section easily detachable.
Should you happen to become overrun with insects etc that you just cannot adequately deal with yourself, then, you harvest all the ripe fruit, and then take the roof off for a day or so, allowing access to the birds.
Then when they have done their worst you simply reattach the roof, and have much fewer pests inside.
Also at the end of the growing season, you can detach the roof again, to allow birds access to the bare plants to eat the smaller insects that would do no good overwintering on your fruit stems.
This is basically what I will be doing on my next trip home.

[Stacey Steve]

Expensive using wire netting, try looking on the Kings web site, that's where I got my netting from.

Dread to think how much it would have cost. My fruit cage is approx 10m x 20m and I bought about £100 of netting (They had it on special) however I've some left over which I'm going to net the cherry trees.

[Storm]

Thank you for all the help there.

Two sheds, yes, i think that you're right as i have thought it through now.

bobleponge, my plan is to make the cage as 5 "panels" that can be taken down for ease of access, and as you say, at the end of the summer the birds can have free range over the insects.

Stacey Steve, my cage (possibly one of several) is going to be 4.5 x 1.5 x 2 m so I am anxious to keep the cost down too. just had a look on google and not sure which company you mean. can you post the URL please?

Cheers,


Simon

[lottie dolly]

have you thought about using debrie netting,it can be stitched together if need be to make it bigger,and add a zip for access,heavy duty zipping is 50p per metr at dunelm,but is only in white,

[Storm]

have you thought about using debrie netting,it can be stitched together if need be to make it bigger,and add a zip for access,heavy duty zipping is 50p per metr at dunelm,but is only in white,

Debris netting is a good idea. we have a big problem with the wind up on our plot. and it's quite cheap as well!!!!

[astrantia]

Debris Netting

Debris netting sounded a great idea but, looking a pictures of it, the mesh seems very small - if it won't let the bees in then the flowers won't be pollinated and there won't be any fruit! Need to check this out.

[Bigmallly]

Welcome to the vine astrantia, I doubt you will get a reply as the thread is over 3 years old but nice to have you onboard anyway.

[redser]

How about leaving the netting off until fruit is forming and then pull it down until stuff is harvested? Like a curtain you could pull up and tie and let down and secure when you need to...