Scaffold Debris Netting: does it block the sun by very much? Other options for birds?

[Russel Sprout]

Hi all

My first strawberries are starting to turn red, and have already been nibbled by birds. I do love the feathered creatures but they can be a pain the butt at times too!

I have some scaffold debris netting left from when I protected my brassicas and was planning to cover the patch with that. However, being debris netting it has very small holes and I am worried about whether it blocks the sun. The strawberries are in a position where they do not get sun all day, so I don't want to limit their sun exposure even more.

Would be great to hear people's views on the matter.

And I am also interested to hear of any other tried and tested methods for keeping the birds of me strawberries! We have a lot of them where I am...

Many thanks

Max

[veggiechicken]

I have strawberries in a debris netted tunnel - they ripen. Whether they'd ripen faster without it I don't know.

[Bren In Pots]

Mine are also under debris netting and I'd sooner have them covered than the birds eating all my strawberries.
I can't think of any way to keep birds away apart from covering the fruit.

[BUFFS]

Mine are also under debris netting and I'd sooner have them covered than the birds eating all my strawberries.
I can't think of any way to keep birds away apart from covering the fruit.

our problem is even when we cover them , sid the squirrel works his way in, and ferries them away in no time, even sits on the drive, fruit in mouth, sitting upright, as if to say "these are all mine", a cheeky little b****r..

[JusPotterinTim]

If you have an Android mobile phone there is an app called Light Meter, which uses the phone's front facing camera to give a figure for light strength. I would imagine there would be a similar app. for an Apple phone.

I used the app. to see how much light my polycarbonate mini greenhouse blocks through the panes - the answer was rougly 10-20%, so not too bad in that case - I still open the doors and roof when conditions allow though. I find it important to rotate the phone about through several angles to find the maximum light number in a spot, as it can vary quite a lot just by moving the phone about, I guess the camera lens is fairly directional in it's light measuring.

I bought a roll of soft netting from Amazon (I think), and I think it allows nearly all the light through, as the mesh is very fine, with hole size of about 12mm.

My strawb. plants are unnetted so far, although of the first two berries to ripen, which I picked yesterday, one had a slime trial on it (that stuff doesn't wash off, yuck), and the second looked like it had been chomped by a bird. I have spread pellets now for the slimy ones, and if more birdy type chomps are taken will bring the netting out. Last year I used thin garden stakes to support the netting and keep it taut, so that the birds are less likely to get caught up in it, I think if the netting is loose and messy then they're more likely to get trapped.