How-to Guide
Protecting Fruit from Birds with Netting (Without Harming Wildlife)
The short answer
If birds strip your strawberries, currants, or cherries every year, netting is the answer, scaring devices work briefly at best because birds habituate. But netting done badly is a wildlife hazard: birds and other animals become entangled in loose netting, which can injure or kill them. RHS guidance is consistent across its fruit-growing pages: build a framework over the plants using bamboo canes or poles, cover it with netting before the fruit ripens, keep the net taut, and fasten it securely at every edge so nothing can slip underneath or get caught in slack folds.
The RHS also recommends choosing plastic-free or reused netting to reduce plastic waste, and removing nets promptly after harvest so pollinators and birds can reach the plants the rest of the year.
Net safely, step by step
- 1Build a frame first — Raise the netting above the fruit on bamboo canes or wooden poles (or a fruit cage). Netting draped directly on plants lets birds peck fruit through it and creates loose folds that trap wildlife.
- 2Keep it taut — Stretch the net tight over the frame. Taut netting is the single most important safety factor; entanglement happens in slack, billowing net.
- 3Secure every edge — Fasten the net to the ground or frame all the way around, with no loose edges or gaps. This keeps birds out and prevents animals from getting inside or caught.
- 4Time it — Cover just before fruit ripens, check the net daily for trapped animals, and remove it promptly after harvest.
Choosing netting
Standard fruit netting excludes birds; very fine insect-proof mesh or fleece also keeps out birds and mammals and is one of the safer options for wildlife because animals cannot push a head or wing through it, provided the edges are buried or anchored to a board at ground level. The RHS encourages plastic-free or reused netting where possible.
⚠ Check nets at least daily. A trapped bird, hedgehog, or snake can die quickly in sun or from struggling; taut, well-secured netting prevents this in the first place.
What about scarers?
Reflective tape, old CDs, and model predators buy days, not weeks; birds quickly learn they are harmless. Move any scarer frequently and treat it as a stopgap while you get netting in place. All wild birds are legally protected in the UK and many other places, so deterrence and exclusion are the only appropriate tools; check local wildlife regulations before considering anything beyond that.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- RHS - How to grow strawberries — Build a framework of canes or poles, cover with plastic-free or reused netting before fruit ripens, and keep it taut and secure so birds and other wildlife don't get entangled.
- RHS - How to grow figs — Hold netting away from fruit with canes and keep it taut to avoid trapping birds and other wildlife.
- RHS - Insect-proof mesh — Very fine mesh is a safer option for wildlife when edges are buried or anchored at ground level; it can also exclude birds and mammals.