If you're a homeowner who takes pride in growing your own fruit trees, vegetable gardens and berry bushes, you no doubt have had a run in with pest birds. As you've painfully learned, birds can destroy ripening fruit and vegetables, picking holes in them and leaving rotting remains on the ground.Mocking birds, orioles and thrashers, for example, will eat your oranges. Bluebirds, finches, robins and waxwings love to feast on grapes. Starlings will go after your cherries. Regardless of the fruit you're growing, there's a bird that will "beat you to the pickin."This is the last thing you want after spending time and energy nurturing you plants with food, carefully watering them and protecting them from insects. The sad truth is that unless you implement some effective bird control measures, you're just growing fruits and vegetables for visiting birds.If you expect to have some fruits and vegetables left over for your friends and relatives, there are some pest bird deterrents that have proven quite effective in protecting your garden. Among the most popular bird control measures is the use of Plastic Bird Netting.Advantages of Plastic Bird Netting Plastic bird netting is an ideal physical barrier that will deny birds access to specific areas of your garden. This netting is a humane, low profile pest bird deterrent that will save your fruit trees, bushes, and gardens from damage by birds. This netting is easy to use and can be readily cut to the size you need. Bird netting of this type is typically sold in two roll sizes: 14- x 100-feet and 14- x 200-feet. Depending on the specific bird type invading your garden, you can choose from three different mesh sizes. These include a 1/4-inch mesh, a 1/2-inch mesh and a 3/4-inch mesh. One manufacturer even offers handy clips for fast, easy installation. The best plastic bird netting is made from durable, U.V. protected polypropylene and comes with a 1-year guarantee. It's strong, light and virtually invisible. The netting is designed for temporary use (when pest birds attack your fruit trees and gardens as they bear fruit or vegetables). Installing Plastic Bird Netting To protect your blueberry bushes and grape vines, suspend the netting over your bushes or vines by at least 6 inches. This will keep birds from sitting on the net and eating your fruit through the mesh. One way to suspend the netting is through the use of a series of poles placed around the perimeter of your garden area. To protect your vegetable gardens, wrap your individual plants in netting or suspend the netting around an entire garden area to deter pest birds. To safeguard your fruit trees, measure the circumference of the tree and cut the net to size, leaving at least one foot extra around the circumference. Secure the netting with twine, zip ties, or hog rings.
