Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Bird netting for strawberries

Updated: 22 October 2026

The first strawberries on your row are colouring, and a blackbird is already on the path. Bird netting for strawberries is the cover you add after the fruit has set, held off the berries, with a hole that still lets insects through if any flowers are open. Insect mesh belongs on seedlings, not on a flowering strawberry bed. The [bird protection net comparison](/hub/garden-supplies/bird-protection-net) holds the amazon.co.uk table. Peter F. wrote this on 19 October 2026 from RHS guidance, Grow Plot UK, GardenSkill and those listings, not a lab trial. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The first strawberries on your row are colouring, and a blackbird is already on the path.

Our top picks

DIVCHI DIVCHI net tunnels, pack of 2

Best overall

DIVCHI DIVCHI net tunnels, pack of 2
6.6/10about £14.99
View offer
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.When to cover strawberries
  2. 2.Mesh size and bees
  3. 3.Frames, bags and cages
  4. 4.What fails on soft fruit

When to cover strawberries

You cover once the fruit has set, when green berries are visible, or as soon as birds take fruit that is starting to colour. The RHS tells blueberry growers to net when birds take the crop, and Grow Plot UK says the same for soft fruit once green fruit shows, because blackbirds take berries early. No source here shares one national date, so a line such as late May is a guess, not a rule for your garden. A bed that still shows open flowers stays uncovered so bees can work it. The RHS school guidance adds that cherries need netting more than apples, pears and plums, so a dwarf cherry should not wait until the fruit is red.

Mesh size and bees

After the fruit has set, Grow Plot UK points to a 15–20 mm hole, and Which? uses about 2 cm against small birds. Straame is a 2 cm sheet, and amazon.co.uk reviews name it on strawberries, as they do for SOL. Do not read 15 mm as proof that bees will pass. The RHS finds strawberries unsuited to insect mesh during flowering, because the bees that set the fruit cannot reach the blooms. Solkraes reviewers call the mesh tiny, and MEKKAPRO is the fine insect mesh in this set. RIFNY reviews split: a strawberry-patch review complains about bees, which is one garden rather than a trial. How the hole is printed is in the bird netting buying guide.
DIVCHI DIVCHI net tunnels, pack of 2

Testsieger

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

Frames, bags and cages

The RHS raises blueberry netting on canes or poles and keeps it taut, because a bird can peck any fruit that touches the mesh. DIVCHI’s tunnel gives about 30 cm of clear height, which can clear a flat strawberry row and will not clear a blueberry. A zip bag suits one small plant you can open to pick. Mystery Code reviews name blueberries and a cherry, so a dwarf cherry can fit when the crown sits inside and the drawstring closes on the trunk. It will not cover a raspberry row. Raspberries often need something about 1.8–2 m high. That figure is GardenSkill’s guidance for the canes, not a height measured on the nets in this set. Named matches are on best bird netting in this set.

What fails on soft fruit

The usual failure is draping the sheet onto the berries. Birds stand on the cloth and feed through it, so a strawberry that presses the mesh from below is already in reach. Lift the net on hoops, canes or the tunnel roof, then pull it taut, because a wet sheet sags back onto the crop after rain. These sheets are bird nets, and a SOL review that names strawberries does not make the mesh a squirrel barrier. When the crop is finished, take the net off so next spring’s flowers are open to bees. Pegging the edge is on how to fit bird netting.

Common questions

Can I leave fine mesh on while strawberries flower?
Not if you still need bees to set the fruit. The RHS treats strawberries as unsuited to insect mesh while they are flowering. MEKKAPRO is that fine insect mesh in this set, and Solkraes reviewers call the bag’s mesh tiny and say not to cover during pollination. Lift it while the plants are in bloom, then put a 15–20 mm net on once green berries show.
How high should blueberry netting sit?
High enough that the mesh does not touch the fruit, and taut so rain does not drop it onto the bush. The RHS raises the net on canes or poles, or uses a fruit cage. DIVCHI’s tunnel, at about 30 cm, can suit a low strawberry row and will not clear a blueberry. Measure from the soil over the tallest shoot and add cloth so you can peg the edge.
Is a zip bag enough for a dwarf cherry?
It can be, when the crown fits inside and you can still open the bag to pick. Mystery Code reviews name a cherry and blueberries, which is the size these bags are used at, and cherries need netting more than apples, pears and plums. The bag will not cover a raspberry row, and it fails if fruit presses against the cloth.
Will 15 mm mesh let bees through?
Do not count on it. Grow Plot UK suggests 15–20 mm after the fruit has set, and Which? uses about 2 cm against small birds. Neither source counts bees through a 15 mm hole. RIFNY reviews include a strawberry patch where bees were the complaint, beside buyers who used the sheet on a fruit cage or a cherry. Read the hole in the listing details.
Do raspberries need a fruit cage?
They need a cover about as high as the canes, which is often a cage. GardenSkill talks about 1.8–2 m for raspberries, and that is guidance for the crop, not the height of the nets in this set. A tunnel of about 30 cm will not do it. A sheet can, if you build canes or a frame, measure over the top, and add overlap to peg.

Related pages

Frost protection fleece comparison

Bird protection net

Best bird netting UK: a listing for each garden job

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

How to fit bird netting: taut mesh and a closed edge

Pond netting for a heron: mesh, overlap and taut span

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)