6 Best Bird Netting For Berry Bushes That Old Gardeners Swear By
Protect your berry harvest with time-tested methods. We review the 6 best bird nettings that veteran gardeners swear by for durability and effectiveness.
There’s nothing more frustrating than watching your blueberry bushes turn a perfect, dusky blue, only to find them stripped bare the next morning. You put in the work—pruning, fertilizing, watering—and the birds reap all the rewards. This isn’t just a minor annoyance; it’s the difference between a summer of fresh pies and a trip to the farmer’s market.
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Why Quality Bird Netting is a Must-Have
Cheap bird netting is a false economy. You might save a few dollars upfront, but you’ll pay for it in frustration, tangled birds, and lost fruit. The flimsy, plastic mesh you find in discount bins tears on the first thorny cane and tangles into an unusable knot the moment you look away.
A quality net is an investment in your harvest and your sanity. It’s designed to withstand UV rays without becoming brittle and to resist snagging on every twig and bud. More importantly, a good net with the right mesh size protects birds as well as your berries. Flimsy, oversized mesh can trap and injure birds, turning your garden into a hazard.
The real difference comes down to material and construction. Extruded netting is made from melted plastic pushed through a die, creating a stiff, grid-like structure. Knitted netting is woven from strong poly-fibers, resulting in a softer, more fabric-like feel that’s less prone to tangling. Choosing the right one depends on whether you need rigid structure or flexible coverage.
DeWitt Polythene Netting: The Heavy-Duty Choice
When you’re tired of replacing your netting every year, DeWitt is where you turn. This isn’t your average garden-center netting; it’s a heavy-duty, UV-stabilized polythene mesh that feels substantial right out of the package. It’s built to endure multiple seasons of sun, wind, and rain without becoming brittle and breaking apart.
The primary advantage here is sheer durability. You can pull it taut over a frame without worrying about it ripping. It stands up to raspberry canes, errant pruning shears, and the general abuse of a working garden. This resilience means that while the initial cost is higher, the cost-per-year is often lower than buying cheap netting over and over again.
The tradeoff for this toughness is weight and rigidity. DeWitt netting is heavier and less pliable than lighter options, making it a bit cumbersome to handle alone, especially in larger sizes. It’s best suited for semi-permanent structures, like a PVC or wood-framed berry cage, where you install it once and leave it for the season. It’s overkill for a single bush but perfect for a dedicated patch.
Gardeneer Bird-X Netting: Easy to Drape & Secure
Gardeneer Bird-X is one of the most common and accessible netting options out there, and for good reason. It’s lightweight, easy to handle, and drapes effortlessly over bushes or simple support structures. If you decide on a Tuesday that you need to protect your berries for the weekend, this is the kind of netting you can find quickly and deploy in minutes.
Its main selling point is convenience. The 3/4-inch mesh is effective against most common fruit-thieves like robins and starlings. Because it’s so light, you can support it with simple bamboo canes or fiberglass rods without needing a heavy-duty frame. For a small row of honeyberries or a few compact blueberry bushes, it provides a fast and effective barrier.
However, that convenience comes at the cost of durability. This polypropylene netting is prone to snagging and can tear if you’re not careful. Getting more than two seasons out of it requires careful handling and storage. It’s a solid choice for temporary protection or for gardeners with smaller plots who don’t want to invest in a permanent setup.
Agfabric Garden Netting for Small Bird Defense
Protect your garden with Agfabric netting! This durable mesh shields plants from pests, birds, and insects while allowing sunlight, air, and water to reach your crops. Its flexible design can be cut to size and reused season after season.
Not all bird problems are created equal. If your main culprits are large birds like jays or robins, a standard mesh will do. But if you’re dealing with persistent finches, sparrows, or other small birds, they can often slip right through a 3/4-inch or 1-inch mesh. That’s where Agfabric’s smaller-mesh options shine.
This netting often comes in a 1/2-inch or 5/8-inch mesh, creating a barrier that is virtually impenetrable to even the smallest feathered thieves. It’s a targeted solution for a specific problem. If you’ve used standard netting and still find your berries pecked and damaged, switching to a smaller mesh like this is the logical next step.
The tighter weave does have minor implications. It can slightly reduce airflow and sunlight, though this is rarely an issue for sun-loving berry bushes. The main challenge is that the smaller holes are more likely to catch on small twigs, buds, and thorns during installation and removal. You need to be methodical when handling it, but for complete protection against tiny birds, the extra care is worth it.
Tenax C-Flex Netting: A Long-Lasting Solution
Tenax C-Flex is a professional-grade product for the hobby farmer who is serious about building a permanent berry cage. This is a rigid, extruded polypropylene mesh that feels more like a flexible fence than a net. It is incredibly strong, UV-resistant, and designed to last for a decade or more.
The key benefit is its structural integrity. Unlike soft netting, Tenax doesn’t sag or stretch over time. You can stretch it drum-tight across a wooden frame and staple it in place, creating a durable, secure enclosure that will withstand heavy snow and strong winds. It’s the "build it once, build it right" solution for protecting a significant berry investment.
This is not a product for draping. Its rigidity makes it poorly suited for temporary setups or laying directly over plants. It demands a sturdy frame and proper installation. Think of it less as a cover and more as a core component of a permanent garden structure. The cost is high, but it solves the bird problem for the long term.
Easy Gardener BirdBlock Mesh for Budget Growers
Sometimes you just need a quick, cheap fix. Maybe you only have two blueberry bushes, or you’re protecting a new strawberry patch for its first fruiting season. In these cases, Easy Gardener’s BirdBlock mesh gets the job done without breaking the bank. It’s widely available and is the most affordable option on this list.
You have to accept its limitations. This is a thin, lightweight net that tangles on itself if you look at it wrong and snags on everything. It is, for all practical purposes, a single-season product. Trying to untangle and store it at the end of the season is often more trouble than it’s worth.
The best way to use it is to be deliberate. Unroll it carefully with a helper, lay it over a simple frame of stakes, and secure it well. Don’t expect it to survive a hailstorm or rough handling. For short-term, low-stakes protection, it serves its purpose as a disposable barrier.
Flarmor Knitted Netting: A Tangle-Resistant Pick
If the single greatest frustration with bird netting is the inevitable, infuriating tangle, then a knitted net like Flarmor is the answer. Instead of being a single piece of extruded plastic, this netting is woven from multiple strands of polyethylene, giving it a soft, fabric-like quality. It feels completely different from the stiff, plasticky mesh you might be used to.
The primary benefit is its resistance to tangling and snagging. It doesn’t catch on every little branch, and when you take it down, it folds up more like a blanket than a bird’s nest of plastic. This makes both installation and removal dramatically faster and less stressful. It’s also gentler on the plants, as it has more give and won’t break delicate new growth.
This user-friendly design doesn’t sacrifice much in the way of strength. It’s surprisingly tough and UV-resistant, often lasting for several seasons with proper care. It strikes an excellent balance between the durability of heavy-duty nets and the light weight of budget options, making it a fantastic all-around choice for anyone who values their time as much as their berries.
Proper Installation for a Bird-Proof Berry Patch
The best netting in the world will fail if it’s installed improperly. The cardinal rule is simple: never, ever drape netting directly onto your berry bushes. A bird will simply land on the net, push it down onto the fruit, and peck right through the mesh. The net must be suspended above and away from the plants to be effective.
Building a support structure doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple frame made from PVC pipes, bamboo poles, or wooden stakes is all you need.
- Drive stakes into the ground around the perimeter of your patch.
- Create a "roof" by running wire or twine between the tops of the stakes, or by using PVC connectors to build a box frame.
- Drape the netting over this frame, ensuring there’s at least 4-6 inches of space between the net and the plants on all sides.
Birds are persistent and will exploit any weakness. The most common point of entry is from underneath. Once the netting is draped over the frame, you must secure the bottom edge to the ground. You can use landscape staples, bricks, rocks, or long boards to weigh it down. Check the entire perimeter to ensure there are no gaps for a clever bird to squeeze through.
Finally, think about your own access. You need to get in to harvest without dismantling the whole structure. The easiest way is to create a simple flap. Overlap two pieces of netting on one side and use clothespins to hold them shut, or simply weigh down one edge with a board that you can lift up to duck under.
Ultimately, protecting your berries comes down to choosing the right tool for your specific situation. Whether you need a heavy-duty fortress for a large patch or a simple, tangle-free cover for a few bushes, the right netting exists. By investing in a quality net and a proper support frame, you ensure that you’re the one enjoying the fruits of your labor, not the birds.
