Every spring we get the same email: “Your net didn’t keep the birds out.” Nine times out of ten, the net was fine — the mesh size was wrong. A hole of 25 mm stops a pigeon but lets a sparrow stroll through; a hole of 8 mm stops the sparrow but can catch a blackbird’s foot. This guide shows you how to pick the hole size that stops your birds without hurting any.
Bird netting works on one principle: the mesh must be smaller than the bird you are excluding. If the hole is bigger than the bird’s head and shoulders, it walks through. If it is only just smaller, a wing, leg or claw can poke through and catch, which is worse — a trapped bird panics, twists and can injure itself or tear the net.
So the goal is the smallest hole that still lets air, light and pollinators through. Get that balance right and the net is invisible to you and impenetrable to the birds.
| Mesh / Hole | Stops | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4″–3/8″ (6–10 mm) | Sparrows, finches, waxwings | Berries, grapes, seed trays |
| 1/2″ (12 mm) | Starlings, blackbirds, robins | Blueberries, cherries, small fruit |
| 3/4″ (19 mm) | Pigeons, doves, gulls | Vegetables, orchard netting |
| 1″ (25 mm) | Crows, magpies, jackdaws | Large fruit trees, poultry pens |
| 2″ (50 mm) + | Hawks, deer, large animals | Over chicken runs — not small birds |
The most common all-round choice for fruit and vegetables is 1/2″ (12 mm). If you only protect against pigeons on a balcony or warehouse, 3/4″ is enough and lets more air through. If sparrows are the enemy — they get into anything — go down to 1/4″–3/8″.
It sounds backwards, but a loose, large mesh can be more dangerous to birds than a tight fine mesh. When a bird pushes its head into a hole it can’t quite pass, its legs and wings flail and catch. Reviewers describe freeing tangled birds daily — and a net that kills birds does exactly what you were trying to prevent. Choose a mesh that is clearly too small to enter, and keep it pulled taut so it can’t pouch and snare.
Our bird netting is knitted (raschel), not woven. Knitted HDPE is a continuous looped structure: cut it, and the hole stays closed instead of laddering into a run. Woven netting is flatter and cheaper, but snip one thread and it frays across a whole row. For a net you trim to shape around trees and structures, knitted is the safer, longer-lasting choice.
Mesh size is the hole; GSM is the weight of the yarn. You can have a fine hole in weak, light yarn — it still won’t hold up to wind or a determined bird. A durable bird net pairs the right hole with enough GSM (typically 40–80 gsm) so the mesh doesn’t stretch out of shape and let birds in after one season.
Off-the-shelf nets often measure under spec, and the stretch makes it worse. Before you order, measure the finished span you need plus overhang, and confirm the net’s unstretched width. We knit to your exact width and length — up to 12 m wide — and mark the true mesh size on every roll, so the net you order is the net you install.
See also: bird netting rip problems.
1/4″–3/8″ (6–10 mm). Sparrows are small and squeeze through almost anything bigger. This fine mesh also blocks most insects.
3/4″ (19 mm) stops pigeons and doves comfortably while keeping good airflow and light. Go finer only if smaller birds are also a problem.
Usually no — starlings are agile and slim. Use 1/2″ (12 mm) to be certain. Reserve 1″ mesh for crows, magpies and poultry protection.
Pick the hole clearly smaller than your bird, pull the net taut, and use knitted — not woven — HDPE. Get the mesh right and the birds go elsewhere, unharmed. Tell us which birds you’re fighting and we’ll recommend the exact mesh and GSM.
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