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How to fit bird netting

Updated: 22 October 2026

Pigeons are working along the brassicas, or blackbirds have found the strawberry row, and the net is still in the packet. How to fit bird netting is tension and a closed edge. A sheet that sags onto the crop is a trap, and a skirt that lifts in a wet wind lets birds walk under. Measure with spare cloth, hold the mesh off the plants, then peg or tie every side. Which roll to order is in the [bird protection net comparison](/hub/garden-supplies/bird-protection-net). The steps follow RHS, Which?, RSPB and RSPCA guidance and the amazon.co.uk listings, not a lab fitting. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Pigeons are working along the brassicas, or blackbirds have found the strawberry row, and the net is still in the packet. How to fit bird netting is tension and a closed edge.

Our top picks

DIVCHI DIVCHI net tunnels, pack of 2

Best overall

DIVCHI DIVCHI net tunnels, pack of 2
6.6/10about £14.99
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Straame Straame nylon net, 4 m × 10 m

Best value

Straame Straame nylon net, 4 m × 10 m
8.4/10about £5.99
View offer
MAIYADUO MAIYADUO green net, 4 m × 5 m

Rank 3

MAIYADUO MAIYADUO green net, 4 m × 5 m
8.5/10about £7.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Measure before you cut
  2. 2.Hold it off the plants
  3. 3.Pegs, ties and zips
  4. 4.Check and release

Measure before you cut

You need more cloth than the bed. A sheet cut to the same outline as the plot cannot be pegged, because the edge has to drop down the sides and sit on the ground. As a rule of thumb, leave a skirt that reaches the soil and still has a hand’s width to weight, and leave more if the frame is tall. RIFNY’s pack claims scissors, six staples and 100 ties. Six staples will not hold a long edge, and the ties only help if a cane or a frame is there. MEKKAPRO’s cut edges fray, so stop once the piece is long enough. Hole size, and sheet versus bag or tunnel, is in the bird netting buying guide.

Hold it off the plants

The Royal Horticultural Society treats a taut net, or a fruit cage, as the protection that lasts, raised on canes or poles and fastened so wildlife is not entangled. Follow the RHS. A net laid on strawberries or a blueberry bush sags once it is wet, and birds can peck where fruit touches the mesh. Put the canes or hoops in before you throw the sheet. DIVCHI’s low tunnel goes on after planting, with about 30 cm of clear height, and the legs go about 7 to 10 cm into the soil. If the crop grows into the roof, the mesh is on the plants. MEKKAPRO has to be fixed to a frame or it slides. When to cover soft fruit, and when fine mesh blocks bees, is on bird netting for strawberries.
DIVCHI DIVCHI net tunnels, pack of 2

Testsieger

DIVCHI DIVCHI net tunnels, pack of 2
6.6/10about £14.99
View offer

Pegs, ties and zips

Every side has to meet the ground or the frame. One lifted corner is enough for a blackbird. In soil, staples are the usual fix. Muzattwi supplies 10 pegs of 16 cm and 50 ties. Angle the pegs and pull the mesh taut as you go. On paving or a patio edge, staples will not bite. Use weights, timber and ties instead. MAIYADUO buyers report the pegs running out. For a zip bag, close Mystery Code’s zip before the branches are inside, or a twig sits in the teeth. The drawstring then closes around the trunk. Do not force a stuck zip with scissors.

Check and release

A fitted net still fails if a hole opens or a bird works underneath. Which? recommends checking garden netting twice a day. The RSPB’s stricter rhythm, daily and ideally three times, applies to netting put up to stop birds nesting, such as on building work. It is not a legal duty for a strawberry bed. If a bird is caught, do not pull it, and do not cut someone else’s net. On your own net, phone first and wait for advice before you slice mesh around a live bird. Take the cover off when the crop is finished, or sooner if flowers still need bees.

Common questions

Do I need a frame or can I lay the net on the plants?
The RHS wants netting raised on canes or poles, or a fruit cage, and kept taut so wildlife is not tangled. Laying the sheet on the crop lets it sag when wet, and birds reach fruit that touches the mesh. Follow the raised method unless the plants are only a few centimetres high and the mesh still clears them. About 30 cm of tunnel height fails once the crop grows into the roof.
How do I stop the edge blowing up?
Peg or tie every side, not only the corners. In a firm bed, staples about 16 cm long, angled and pulled tight, hold a skirt. Sandy soil lets a short peg pull out, so add a tie to a cane where you can. On paving, staples fail, and weights or timber have to do the job. A sheet cut to the exact size of the bed has no skirt to weight, so the edge will lift anyway.
How do I fit a zip bag without snagging the zip?
Close the zip most of the way before you pull the bag over the bush. Mystery Code’s zip can take several minutes to seat, and a twig in the teeth stops it. Draw the cord around the trunk only after the zip is shut. If the bag is smaller than the bush, forcing it tears the mesh, so use a sheet on a frame instead.
How often should I check the net?
Which? says twice a day for garden netting. Look for lifted pegs, sagging cloth and new holes, morning and evening, while the cover is on the crop. The RSPB’s daily check, ideally three times, is for netting used to stop nesting, not a statute for a fruit bed. After high wind, look again the same afternoon, because one lifted corner undoes the edge.
Who do I call if a bird is stuck?
In England and Wales call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999. In Scotland call the SSPCA on 03000 999 999. In Northern Ireland call the USPCA on 028 3025 1000. Do not pull the bird, and do not cut a neighbour’s net. On your own cover, phone first and wait for advice before you cut mesh around a live bird.

Related pages

Pond netting for herons and leaves

Bird protection net

Best bird netting UK: a listing for each garden job

Bird netting for garden: mesh, size, overlap and pegs

Bird netting for strawberries: timing, mesh and height

Sources

Public UK sources for this comparison. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk listings in this set. Page updated 22 October 2026.

  1. RSPB: netting and nesting (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 5 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: prevent wild birds damaging your land (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. RHS: insect-proof mesh (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. RHS: grow your own blueberries (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Which?: protecting your garden from birds (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. FBAS: herons (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Thrive: netting a pond (retrieved 22 October 2026)