About Bird Nets, Uses, and Installation

Birds are beautiful and frequent visitors to our gardens, homes, stores, and warehouses. However, once they start causing damage such as pecking at the produce and contaminating products in our store, they quickly turn into a menace that must be instantly solved. 

Bird netting is the easiest and most humane technique used to keep birds away from your property. By covering your produce with a lightweight bird net, you will be able to prevent any damage by a bird while at the same time allowing rain, sunlight, and pollinators in. Bird netting is however only effective when correctly installed. It is, therefore, critical that you use the right procedure when setting it up. By using the right installation technique, the net will be able to keep the garden safe from birds. 

Choose the right netting size

Commercial business and growers have to deal with the suffering brought about by pest bird infestations. Flocks of pest birds usually nest on or in your property, resulting in all sorts of damage to the facility as well as the produce stored therein. Birds are also likely to interfere with the crew and customers in large stores. Bird droppings result in slippery walkways and loading docks and may result in expensive legal liability in case of an injury. 

Among the most effective techniques used to get rid of this annoyance is by using bird netting. Fortunately, these nets come in different types, each with its own advantages targeted towards different types and sizes of birds as well as preferred application venues. Before investing in any bird netting, it is important that you first figure out the one that works best for you. Here are a few guidelines to make the process easy for you. 

Types of bird nettings

- Knotless Netting 

Knotless bird netting is a knitted polyethylene net, which tends to be much stronger than the extruded netting discussed below. Knotless netting will cost a bit more than the commonly used knotless netting. 

- Extruded netting

This is one of the commonly used bird nettings and is made from polypropylene using UV stabilizer. Extruded netting is preferred due to its flexibility and toughness. Unlike other bird nettings, the extruded netting is lightweight, requires less support, and can be used to directly cover plants. It is also an economical alternative to the entry-level usage. This bird netting is ideal for use in gardens although it does protect against the cabbage white butterfly. Extruded netting is a great choice for protecting your fish. 

- Knotted Netting

The knotted bird netting is usually made using a high-density polyethylene and nylon. The knotted structure gives it extra strength and durability and is more suitable for use in commercial areas including office buildings and school courts among others. 

So what type of bird netting should you go for? 

This is easy and helps you determine the size of the netting needed for the size of the area you intend to deter birds from. If you are dealing with small birds such as sparrows, a small dimension net with smaller areas between strands of netting will be the most effective. You must, however, keep in mind that large spaces in between stands will not deter smaller birds from the netted area. This can be a major problem given the fact that most people dealing with a pest bird infestation want a single and complete bird control solution when setting up the netting on their property. 

Equipment needed to install bird netting

Installing bird nets is a complex undertaking. Keep in mind that there are different approach methods used to determine the exact size and the length of bird netting you will need. The equipment needed for the job also varies based on several factors. First, you need to concentrate on the lift you intend to access the areas that require netting. Unfortunately, lifts are high priced and most netting installation service providers rely on hired equipment to install the bird netting. 

Platform lifts are the commonly rented equipment and these usually vary in price based on the height they have to go up and if the rental company is delivering the lift to the site or not. The average cost of hiring the lifts ranges between $350 to $600 a day. This explains why bird-netting services are that expensive. 

Besides the lifts, you will also need an array of other equipment such as crimping tools, caulk guns, concrete drills and several other types of hand tools needed for the job. You will also be required to arm yourself with the numerous components of bird netting. Keep in mind that you might have to install and attach the netting in corners and you should, therefore, understand corner attachments, perimeter cable, intermediate attachment, net ring looping m ferrules as well the netting itself. 

Harvesting your produce through the bird netting

The ideal way to access the plants for harvesting is dependent on the technique used to secure the netting during the installation. If the netting is secured in place using garden staples, all you need to do is to remove them, reach inside to harvest your crops and simply reattach the netting in place one done. 

If the netting is stapled into a raised bed, removing the netting can be quite complex. Rather than removing the netting out of your way, use a knife to make small holes close to the produce you intend to harvest. Make sure that the holes are big enough for you to remove the produce without allowing the birds in the netting. 



Also read our other bird tip: What should I do with a pigeon after I catch it in my house?