6 Best Pest Exclusion Netting For Fruit That Protect Fruit Naturally

We’ve all had that moment of defeat in the garden. You watch your apples, berries, or cherries ripen to perfection, only to find them pecked by birds or riddled with insect larvae the next day. It’s a frustrating cycle that can make you question if a perfect harvest is even possible without constant chemical intervention. The good news is that there’s a simple, effective, and completely natural solution: pest exclusion netting.

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Why Use Netting for Natural Fruit Protection?

Physical barriers are your most reliable defense. Unlike sprays, which need perfect timing and reapplication after rain, netting works 24/7 as a fortress for your fruit. It simply prevents the pest from ever reaching the target. This approach is incredibly effective and requires zero chemicals, keeping your harvest truly natural.

The real beauty of netting is its "set it and forget it" nature. Once you properly install a net over your berry bushes or build a frame around a fruit tree, your work is mostly done for the season. This is a huge advantage for the busy hobby farmer. You’re not just buying a product; you’re buying peace of mind and saving yourself the future labor of spraying and inspecting.

Of course, there’s an upfront investment in both cost and time. Good quality netting isn’t free, and draping it over a row of blueberries takes an afternoon. But weigh that against the cost of lost fruit and the time spent on less reliable methods. A durable net can last for years, making it one of the best investments you can make in the long-term success of your orchard.

Agfabric Standard Insect Barrier for Versatility

Think of this as your go-to, general-purpose netting. Agfabric’s standard barrier is perfect for common, medium-sized pests like cabbage moths, Japanese beetles, and stink bugs. It strikes a fantastic balance between protection, light transmission, and airflow. Your plants get the sun and air they need, but the bigger bugs are locked out.

This is the net I’d recommend if you’re just starting with exclusion or have a variety of different crops to protect. You can cut it to size easily and use it on anything from low-lying strawberry beds to framed-in fruit trees. It’s lightweight enough to be used as a floating row cover but strong enough to be stretched over a PVC or wood structure.

The key limitation is its mesh size. While it stops the big, obvious culprits, it won’t do a thing against tiny pests like aphids, thrips, or the dreaded spotted wing drosophila (SWD). If you know you have those specific issues, you’ll need a finer mesh. But for general-purpose defense, this is an excellent and affordable starting point.

Gardzen Ultra Fine Mesh for Thrips and Aphids

When you’re dealing with minuscule pests, you need a specialized tool. Gardzen’s ultra-fine mesh is designed specifically to block the tiniest of insects, including aphids, thrips, and flea beetles. The weave is so tight that most of these pests simply cannot physically pass through it.

This level of protection is crucial for certain crops. If you’ve ever lost an entire raspberry or late-season blueberry harvest to SWD, you know standard netting is useless. This ultra-fine mesh is your best non-chemical defense against them. It creates a complete quarantine zone around your valuable fruit.

However, this total exclusion comes with a tradeoff. The tight weave slightly reduces both light and airflow compared to a standard net. This can create a slightly warmer, more humid microclimate underneath. For most plants, this is a minor issue, but it’s something to be aware of, especially in hot, humid climates. This is a targeted solution for a specific, high-stakes problem.

VIVOSUN Heavy Duty Netting for Durability

Durability matters more than you think. A cheap net that rips halfway through the season is worse than no net at all. VIVOSUN’s heavy-duty netting is built to withstand the realities of a working homestead—wind, hail, snagging on branches, and even the occasional curious chicken.

This is the netting you choose for permanent or semi-permanent structures. If you’re building a walk-in berry cage or a long-term cover for your espaliered apple trees, you want a material that will last for many seasons. The thicker, UV-stabilized material resists tearing and degradation from the sun, justifying its higher initial cost over time.

The extra weight and stiffness can make it a bit more cumbersome to handle than lighter fabrics. It’s not ideal for a temporary, floating row cover you plan to lift frequently. But for any application where you need strength and longevity, this is the smart choice. It’s an investment in not having to do the same job twice.

De-Bird Garden Netting Pro for Bird Defense

Not all pests are insects. For anyone growing cherries, blueberries, or serviceberries, birds are public enemy number one. De-Bird’s netting is designed with one job in mind: stopping birds without creating other problems.

The key is the larger mesh size, typically around 3/4 inch. This is small enough to block birds but large enough to allow for maximum sunlight and airflow. Crucially, it also allows small, beneficial pollinating insects to pass through freely. This is a critical distinction—you don’t want to block your pollinators while trying to protect your fruit.

A vital tip for any bird netting: it must be installed taut. Drape it over a frame or pull it tight and secure it well away from the fruit. If the net lies loosely on the branches, birds can still press against it to reach the fruit, and worse, they can become entangled. A tight installation is safer for wildlife and more effective for you.

Easy Gardener Blanket for Ground Cover Fruit

Sometimes the best solution is the simplest one. For low-growing fruit like strawberries or alpine strawberries, an "insect blanket" or floating row cover is incredibly effective. Easy Gardener’s product is a great example of this lightweight, no-fuss approach.

The application couldn’t be easier. You simply drape the fabric directly over your plants, leaving enough slack for them to grow. Secure the edges with soil, rocks, or garden staples. This creates an instant barrier against tarnished plant bugs, slugs, and birds that love to steal ground-level fruit.

This method is best for crops that don’t rely heavily on insect pollination during the fruiting stage, or for use after pollination is complete. Because it’s so light, you can easily lift it to harvest and then put it right back. It’s a low-cost, low-effort way to get a perfect strawberry harvest.

Tierra Garden Micromesh for Total Exclusion

This is the Fort Knox of garden netting. Tierra Garden’s Micromesh combines an ultra-fine weave with heavy-duty, UV-stabilized construction. It’s designed for situations where you have severe, multi-faceted pest pressure and cannot afford any crop loss.

Think of this as the solution for your highest-value or most vulnerable crops. If you’re fighting squash vine borers on your prize pumpkins or a combination of SWD and Japanese beetles on your primocane raspberries, this is your answer. It blocks almost everything, from the tiniest thrips to the largest birds.

This level of protection is the most expensive and has the greatest impact on the plant’s microclimate, significantly reducing airflow. You wouldn’t use this everywhere, as it can be overkill. But when you have a specific crop that is constantly decimated year after year, investing in a Micromesh cage can be the difference between a total loss and a triumphant harvest.

Choosing the Right Mesh Size for Your Orchard

There is no single "best" net. The right choice depends entirely on what you’re trying to stop. Choosing the wrong mesh size is the most common mistake, leading to frustration and lost crops.

Start by identifying your primary enemy. Don’t buy an ultra-fine net to stop birds; it’s expensive and unnecessarily blocks light. Don’t buy bird netting to stop aphids; it’s completely useless. Your decision-making process should be simple:

• Large Pests (Birds, Deer): You need a large mesh, from 1/2 inch to 1 inch. The goal is a physical barrier, not an insect screen.
• Medium Insects (Moths, Beetles, Squash Bugs): A standard insect barrier with a mesh of around 1.0-1.2mm is perfect. This is your versatile workhorse.
• Small to Tiny Insects (Aphids, SWD, Thrips): You must use a fine or ultra-fine mesh, typically 0.8mm or smaller. For SWD, aim for 0.6mm or less to be safe.

Always remember the fundamental tradeoff: the finer the mesh, the better the exclusion, but the lower the airflow and light transmission. Start with the largest mesh size that will effectively block your target pest. Don’t overdo it unless you have a specific, tiny pest that forces your hand. A well-chosen net is a powerful tool for a truly natural harvest.

Ultimately, netting empowers you to take control of pest management without resorting to a spray bottle. By understanding the different types and matching the right net to the right pest, you can ensure the fruit of your labor actually ends up on your table. It’s a simple, sustainable strategy that delivers a clean, perfect harvest year after year.