"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...
Our fruit cage is under going a major overhaul at present. about 20 years
ago I exchanged the normal fruit cage netting on the sides with chicken
wire of about three quarter inch dia holes. Worked really well as I was
able to grow clematis over the sides without damaging the netting.

Right, what I want to know is how big can the holes be before black birds
and thrushes get in? I would quite like to let in the tits, wrens and
other pest eaters so do not want to put back the same size unless I have
to.
The roof continues to be the standard woven fruit cage netting
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea


Hi Charlie,

I suspect your best source of information would be a site or book with
construction information for building bird boxes. You know, the sort of
thing that says 2" holes for tits, and so on. These dimensions are
intended to exclude bigger birds and predators, I know, but I would have
thought they'd be a useful guideline for you. Maybe the RSPB or BTO site
would be helpful.

I suggest you also check the access dimensions for bull finches and other
fruit tree thieves; not all of them are blackbird sized. They may give you
a problem!

It's a great idea, though, to use chicken mesh; so much sturdier than the
usual yarn meshes. I'm slightly surprised you still use the softer mesh for
the roof; I would have thought steel mesh would be more snow-proof. You
obviously have a reason for keeping a soft roof.

Anyway, hope this helps.
Spider