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

On Jan 4, 5:03*pm, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
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.

Bonne Annee Charlie. I was perusing Harrod Horticultural yesterday for
some fleece (looking at making a tunnel on the cheap) and 8cm mesh
seemed to be the requirement for anti all birds.

"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

--
.................................................. ..............
"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. Happy New Year to you.

I have used 2" Chicken Mesh to exclude Starlings, which in turn excludes
Blackbirds, on a hanging bird table which allows the Tits to go through :-)

Best wishes

Mike

Charlie Pridham writes
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

I had a similar thought to Spider - have a look at the guards they sell
for bird feeders - these are designed to let in small birds and exclude
starlings, so the spacing on these would seem to be ideal.
--
Kay

On Jan 4, 5:03*pm, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
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 Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

We have been given a fruit cage by a neighbour who no longer wants
it. I want to grow stuff in there that would be safe from the dreaded
white cabbage butterfly, as I am trying to avoid sprays. What mesh do
I need as the mesh is almost destroyed anyway.

Judith

In article 3128cd6f-8c13-4907-9a65-
,
says...
On Jan 4, 5:03*pm, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
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 Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

We have been given a fruit cage by a neighbour who no longer wants
it. I want to grow stuff in there that would be safe from the dreaded
white cabbage butterfly, as I am trying to avoid sprays. What mesh do
I need as the mesh is almost destroyed anyway.

Judith

Judith, if you just want to keep things out then standard fruit cage
netting is the stuff, normally black woven mesh its light lasts at least
20 years and will keep out butterflies as well as birds.

Many thanks for the rest I will look at the various bird sites as
suggested 2" sounds in the right area. Helen your 8cm sounds a bit large
at around 3" but maybe lost something in the conversion/translation.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

In message , Charlie
Pridham writes
In article 3128cd6f-8c13-4907-9a65-
,
says...
On Jan 4, 5:03*pm, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
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 Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

We have been given a fruit cage by a neighbour who no longer wants
it. I want to grow stuff in there that would be safe from the dreaded
white cabbage butterfly, as I am trying to avoid sprays. What mesh do
I need as the mesh is almost destroyed anyway.

Judith

Judith, if you just want to keep things out then standard fruit cage
netting is the stuff, normally black woven mesh its light lasts at least
20 years and will keep out butterflies as well as birds.

Many thanks for the rest I will look at the various bird sites as
suggested 2" sounds in the right area. Helen your 8cm sounds a bit large
at around 3" but maybe lost something in the conversion/translation.

I agree almost totally with Charlie however I noticed last year that the
black woven mesh with which I surrounded our blueberry section had been
penetrated by blackbirds. Observation proved that they pecked and picked
at an obviously suspect part and created their own entry. Of course they
absolutely love blueberries but this netting - the usual stuff - is less
than 7 years old. It may have been defective however - but it proved
little defence against determined blackies. In other parts of the garden
I have found chicken wire very effective.
--
Gopher .... I know my place!

The message
from Gopher contains these words:

In message , Charlie
Pridham writes
Many thanks for the rest I will look at the various bird sites as
suggested 2" sounds in the right area. Helen your 8cm sounds a bit large
at around 3" but maybe lost something in the conversion/translation.

I agree almost totally with Charlie however I noticed last year that the
black woven mesh with which I surrounded our blueberry section had been
penetrated by blackbirds. Observation proved that they pecked and picked
at an obviously suspect part and created their own entry...

I had exactly the same experience last year trying to protect
gooseberries. That netting might work as the top of a cage where the
birds find it harder to get any purchase but is useless low down. It's
also surprising just how small an opening a bird that size can get
through. They only ever think of getting in and have no clue about
getting out again. I wouldn't use any smaller mesh than an inch,
one-and-a-half at the most, if that size exists. I believe two inches
would be as an open window, and the smaller birds like finches will get
through the one inch mesh; they're really nothing but air and fluff.

On Jan 5, 9:08*am, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
In article 3128cd6f-8c13-4907-9a65-
,
says...

On Jan 4, 5:03*pm, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
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 Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

We have been given a fruit cage by a neighbour who no longer wants
it. *I want to grow stuff in there that would be safe from the dreaded
white cabbage butterfly, as I am trying to avoid sprays. *What mesh do
I need as the mesh is almost destroyed anyway.

Judith

Judith, if you just want to keep things out then standard fruit cage
netting is the stuff, normally black woven mesh its light lasts at least
20 years and will keep out butterflies as well as birds.

Many thanks for the rest I will look at the various bird sites as
suggested 2" sounds in the right area. Helen your 8cm sounds a bit large
at around 3" but maybe lost something in the conversion/translation.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwallwww.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Thanks for that Charlie. When the weather improves we will go and
take a look at it.

Judith

On 5 Jan, 09:08, Charlie Pridham wrote:
Many thanks for the rest I will look at the various bird sites as
suggested 2" sounds in the right area. Helen your 8cm sounds a bit large
at around 3" but maybe lost something in the conversion/translation.

I thought I'd check - http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/H...ird%20Netting/

Looks like it's only protection against pigeons - but still, 8cm ...
does the rule of 'if the head fits, the rest follows' applies to
pigeon too? g