Garden / Roundup
The best netting for strawberries
Strawberries get hit by birds first, then by whatever else has noticed. The netting that stops a robin is not the netting that stops a chipmunk, and both have to be on a frame.
For birds, use netting at a quarter inch or smaller on a frame with every edge sealed, per Ask Extension. For squirrels and chipmunks, fabric is not enough — use hardware cloth at 1/2 in on a frame. A pop-up net tunnel is the fastest bird solution for a strawberry row; a wire cage is the only one rated for the rodent.
The extension answer, and why it has two halves
Ask Extension, answering a homeowner's question about protecting strawberries, gives an answer with a hinge in the middle. For birds: "fine mesh materials or bird netting can be an effective way to protect strawberries from birds", with "small mesh sizes (¼-inch or smaller)" and edges "tightly sealed to prevent birds from sneaking underneath." For squirrels: "a sturdier wire mesh or welded wire fencing may be necessary."
That hinge is the whole buying decision. A strawberry bed has two kinds of thief, and the products for each do not overlap. Look at the damage before buying: berries pecked and left are birds; berries gone entirely, often with a trail of half-eaten ones, are a chipmunk or a squirrel.
Birds: the quarter-inch rule
A quarter inch is a finer mesh than most 'bird netting' sold for fruit trees, and that is the point. A robin does not need to get its body through the net; it needs to get its beak through to a berry pressed against the mesh. Fine mesh on a frame, held clear of the fruit, is what actually stops the pecking.
The pop-up net tunnels and cages on this page publish their dimensions and name strawberries in their intended use. What they do not publish is the mesh size in the listing, so treat 'fine mesh' as a claim to check on arrival. If a berry fits through it, it is not fine enough.
Squirrels and chipmunks: the wire rule
The University of Nebraska Extension states that squirrels squeeze through holes 1.5 inches in diameter and will enlarge smaller holes by gnawing. A fabric net is not a barrier to an animal that enlarges holes by gnawing; it is a delay. The specification for a squirrel is the one this site uses for rabbit fencing: galvanized wire at 1 in or smaller. For a chipmunk, which is a fraction of the size, go to 1/2 in hardware cloth — the same figure Colorado State Extension gives for excluding young rabbits.
A strawberry bed is low, which makes this easy. A hardware-cloth lid on a simple wooden frame, hinged at one side, covers a 4 x 8 bed and lifts for picking. It is more work than a pop-up tunnel and it is the only thing on this page that is actually rated for the animal.
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Quick picks
Ranked, with the trade-off named. Tap a row for the full write-up; the price button goes straight to Amazon.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Pop-Up Raised Bed Mesh Cover with Zipper Door, 45 inA cover that comes up with its frame already in it, and the only one on this shelf publishing a zipper door — you unzip to pick instead of lifting the whole thing off the row. | Strawberries and low crops | $14.99 on Amazon |
| 2 |  Pop-Up Garden Row Cover, 39 x 18 x 16 in, 3 packA row-shaped cage rather than a box, which matters if your vegetables are planted in lines like most vegetables are. Publishes both its dimensions and its fixing count, which this shelf often will not. | Long rows rather than square beds | $27.99 on Amazon |
| 3 |  Garden Netting for 4 x 8 ft Raised Beds, fine mesh, drawstring, 2 packA fitted fabric mesh bag with a drawstring, sized to the most common raised bed. It excludes birds and insects. It is not published as chew-proof and this site does not treat it as a squirrel barrier. | Birds and insects on a 4 x 8 bed — not squirrels | $19.99 on Amazon |
| 4 |  HUNKA Hardware Cloth, 1/2 in mesh, 36 in x 50 ft, 19 gaugeRecommended by specification rather than by brand: 1/2 in mesh, 36 in tall, galvanized. This roll meets it — any roll matching the same three numbers does the same job. | A permanent rabbit barrier | $42.99 on Amazon |
| 5 |  Pop-Up Garden Mesh Plant Cover, 2 piecesA plain mesh enclosure sold as a pair, aimed squarely at the seedling stage, which is when losing a bed actually costs you the season. | Bird and pest protection on seedlings | $25.99 on Amazon |
| 6 |  Garden Netting Kit, 10 x 30 ft mesh, 6 sets of 8 ft hoopsSix sets of 8 ft hoops and a 10 x 30 ft run of fine mesh. Enough to hoop several beds, and the hoops are what keep the mesh off the crop. | Hooping several beds from one kit | $32.99 on Amazon |
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The picks in full
Top pick Strawberries and low crops
Pop-Up Raised Bed Mesh Cover with Zipper Door, 45 in
A cover that comes up with its frame already in it, and the only one on this shelf publishing a zipper door — you unzip to pick instead of lifting the whole thing off the row.
Published specifications
- Dimensions
- 45.3 x 21.7 x 17.7 in (published)
- Frame
- Pop-up, integrated (published)
- Access
- Zipper door (published)
- Mesh
- Mesh plant netting (published); no aperture published
- Anchoring
- Stakes included (count not published)
- Named use
- Raised beds, vegetables, seedlings, strawberries (published)
Trade-offs
- Pops up with the frame already in it, which is the whole argument against hoop-and-drape kits
- A zipper door, which nothing else on this shelf publishes — you pick without lifting the cover off the row
- The listing names strawberries specifically rather than just 'plants'
- At 45.3 in long it covers a bed row, and at 17.7 in it stands taller than the 39 x 18 x 16 row protector
- The listing publishes no pack count, so order on the assumption that it is one cover
- Publishes no mesh aperture, so its exclusion range is a claim rather than a figure
- Fabric mesh: a bird and insect barrier, not a squirrel one
- At 17.7 in it suits strawberries and salad crops and nothing that stands up
Who it is forA strawberry row or a bed of salad crops with a bird and insect problem, and no patience for assembly.
Skip it ifThe animal digs. Hardware cloth is the answer there, and no polyester mesh will hold a determined rodent.
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No. 2 Long rows rather than square beds
Pop-Up Garden Row Cover, 39 x 18 x 16 in, 3 pack
A row-shaped cage rather than a box, which matters if your vegetables are planted in lines like most vegetables are. Publishes both its dimensions and its fixing count, which this shelf often will not.
Published specifications
- Dimensions
- 39" x 18" x 16" (published)
- Quantity
- 3 (published)
- Anchoring
- 24 ground nails included (published)
- Shape
- Row / rectangular
- Named targets
- Birds and animals (published)
Trade-offs
- Matches how rows are actually planted, so less mesh is wasted on bare soil
- 24 ground nails across 3 covers is 8 each — enough to actually pin the skirt
- Publishes real dimensions rather than a garment size
- Three covers means a spare, or three short rows
- 16 in tall is low; it suits seedlings, greens and strawberries and nothing upright
- A long, low cage is more prone to sagging onto the crop than a short square one
- Mesh, so it is a bird and insect barrier rather than a squirrel one
- Three separate covers do not join into one continuous run
Who it is forRows of greens, brassicas or seedlings on open ground rather than in a boxed bed.
Skip it ifYour beds are square. A row cage over a square bed wastes both space and mesh.
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Where these specifications came from
No. 3 Birds and insects on a 4 x 8 bed — not squirrels
Garden Netting for 4 x 8 ft Raised Beds, fine mesh, drawstring, 2 pack
A fitted fabric mesh bag with a drawstring, sized to the most common raised bed. It excludes birds and insects. It is not published as chew-proof and this site does not treat it as a squirrel barrier.
Published specifications
- Bed size
- 4 x 8 ft (published)
- Quantity
- 2 (published)
- Mesh
- Fine mesh fabric (published)
- Closure
- Drawstring (published)
- Named targets
- Small animals and pests (published)
- Chew resistance
- Not published
Trade-offs
- Fitted to the bed, so it closes at the edges — the failure point of every draped net
- Fine enough for insects, which a hardware-cloth cage is not
- Fast: on and off in a minute, which matters for a bed you harvest from daily
- Two in the pack for two beds, or one in use and one in the wash
- Fabric. A squirrel that wants what is under it will chew it, and the listing does not claim otherwise
- Needs something inside to hold it off the plants, or it lies on the foliage
- 'Small animals' on a listing is not a species claim and should not be read as one
- Fine mesh shades slightly and slows airflow; it is a season cover, not a permanent one
Who it is forA bed whose problem is birds, cabbage moths or flea beetles, on a plot where squirrels are not the animal doing the damage.
Skip it ifThe damage is squirrel or chipmunk digging. That is a hardware-cloth job — this will slow them down for about a day.
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Where these specifications came from
No. 4 A permanent rabbit barrier
HUNKA Hardware Cloth, 1/2 in mesh, 36 in x 50 ft, 19 gauge
Recommended by specification rather than by brand: 1/2 in mesh, 36 in tall, galvanized. This roll meets it — any roll matching the same three numbers does the same job.
Published specifications
- Mesh
- 1/2 in x 1/2 in (published); 1 in or smaller is the spec, 1/2 in excludes young rabbits
- Roll
- 36 in W x 50 ft L (published)
- Gauge
- 19, 0.91 mm wire diameter (published)
- Material
- Hot-dip galvanized over annealed wire (published)
- Height above ground
- At least 2 ft (Colorado State Extension)
- Buried depth
- 4 to 8 in (Colorado State Extension)
Trade-offs
- Extension services put chicken wire, hardware cloth or flexible netting at 2 ft high and buried 4 to 8 in as fairly effective against rabbits
- A permanent fix rather than a reapplication schedule
- Half-inch mesh also excludes young rabbits, which 2 in poultry netting does not
- Hot-dip galvanized after weaving, which is the coating that survives being buried
- Burying the bottom edge is the whole job, and it is real digging
- Galvanized wire is visible in a way black deer netting is not
- 36 in tall means you are burying roughly a third of what you paid for
- The listing warns of sharp edges at both ends — this is a gloves job, and nothing about this brand makes it better than any other roll at the same spec
Who it is forA vegetable plot or a border with a persistent rabbit problem, where you would rather dig once than spray for years.
Skip it ifDeer are the actual problem. Two feet of wire is a step-over for a deer; the height that matters there is 8 ft and up. See deer fencing.
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Where these specifications came from
No. 5 Bird and pest protection on seedlings
Pop-Up Garden Mesh Plant Cover, 2 pieces
A plain mesh enclosure sold as a pair, aimed squarely at the seedling stage, which is when losing a bed actually costs you the season.
Published specifications
- Quantity
- 2
- Type
- Pop-up mesh plant enclosure
- Intended use
- Raised beds, fruit, vegetables, seedlings, herbs
Trade-offs
- Covers the window when damage is most expensive: germination to establishment
- Mesh passes light and water, so there is no need to lift it to look after the bed
- The listing does not publish dimensions, so bed fit is a guess
- Light mesh over a light frame is a one- or two-season item
Who it is forA seedbed you need covered this week, where the cost of the cover is trivial next to the cost of resowing.
Skip it ifYou need a specific size. Buy the cage that publishes its dimensions instead.
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Where these specifications came from
No. 6 Hooping several beds from one kit
Garden Netting Kit, 10 x 30 ft mesh, 6 sets of 8 ft hoops
Six sets of 8 ft hoops and a 10 x 30 ft run of fine mesh. Enough to hoop several beds, and the hoops are what keep the mesh off the crop.
Published specifications
- Mesh
- 10 x 30 ft, ultra fine (published)
- Hoops
- 6 sets, 8 ft (published)
- Hoop material
- Not published
- Type
- Row cover / insect netting (published)
- Chew resistance
- Not published
Trade-offs
- Hoops are the part people forget, and this kit includes them
- 30 ft of mesh covers more than one bed
- 8 ft hoops flex into a 4 ft bed without tools
- Fine mesh, so it earns its keep against insects as well as birds
- Fabric mesh — the same limitation as every fabric cover on this page against a chewing animal
- Edges still have to be weighted or buried, and the kit does not include anything for that
- The listing does not publish what the hoops are made of, which the kit it replaced did
- Fine mesh over hoops catches wind like a sail
Who it is forTwo or three beds with a bird or insect problem, and a gardener who will actually weight the edges.
Skip it ifOne bed. The fitted 4 x 8 net is faster and closes better. And if the animal is a squirrel, neither is the answer.
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Where these specifications came from
The frame is a welfare issue, not a convenience
Netting laid over strawberry plants catches things. The Wildlife Rescue League reports garden netting trapping small mammals, reptiles, and — from a wildlife control operator's account — birds, owls, even squirrels, and recommends a solid structure which animals cannot attempt to get through in preference to loose net.
A net stretched over hoops with the edges pinned is a barrier an animal bounces off. A net lying on the bed is a snare. Every product on this page that is a net is a net-on-a-frame, and if you buy the roll instead, buy hoops with it.
Sizing to the bed
| Cover | Published size | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Pop-up garden bed tunnel | 4 ft long, integrated steel-wire arches, 2 pack | A single strawberry row or a small bed |
| Pop-up row cover, 3 pack | 39 x 18 x 16 in, 24 ground nails | A row of plants, or three short rows |
| Fitted 4 x 8 net, drawstring | 4 x 8 ft, 2 pack | The standard raised bed, with something inside to hold it up |
| Hoop and netting kit | 10 x 30 ft mesh, 6 sets of 8 ft hoops | Several beds or a long row |
| Hardware cloth, 1/2 in, 36 in | Roll | A hinged lid on any bed where the thief is a rodent |
What we would buy
- Birds, one bed or row: the pop-up net tunnel. It names strawberries, it stakes down, and it is on and off in a minute at picking time.
- Birds, a whole 4 x 8 bed: the fitted drawstring net over a few hoops. The drawstring is the edge seal the extension answer asks for.
- Chipmunks or squirrels: hardware cloth at 1/2 in on a hinged frame. Nothing fabric on this page will hold them, and the listings do not claim it will.
- All three at once: the wire lid. It excludes the bird as well, and a strawberry bed is small enough that building it properly is an afternoon.
Questions people actually ask
- What size netting do I need for strawberries?
- Ask Extension recommends a quarter inch or smaller for birds, with the edges tightly sealed. Most fruit-tree bird netting is coarser than that, and a small bird gets its beak through a coarse mesh to any berry touching it.
- Does bird netting keep squirrels off strawberries?
- No. Ask Extension separates bird netting from the sturdier wire mesh or welded wire squirrels need, and the University of Nebraska Extension notes squirrels enlarge holes by gnawing. Use hardware cloth at 1 in or smaller on a frame.
- What keeps chipmunks out of strawberries?
- Half-inch hardware cloth on a frame — the same figure Colorado State Extension gives for excluding young rabbits. A chipmunk is small enough that 1 in mesh is not reliable, and no fabric net holds it.
- Can I just lay netting over the strawberry plants?
- We would not. Birds peck through wherever a berry touches the mesh, and the Wildlife Rescue League reports birds, owls, squirrels, reptiles and small mammals trapped in loose garden netting. Use hoops or a frame and secure every edge.
- Do pop-up tunnels work for strawberries?
- For birds, yes — the pop-up tunnel on this page publishes a 4 ft length with the hooped frame already sewn in, and comes two to a pack. For chipmunks and squirrels, no; it is polyester mesh.
- How do I tell birds from chipmunks on strawberries?
- Pecked berries left on the plant are birds. Berries missing entirely, sometimes with half-eaten ones dropped along a route, are a chipmunk or squirrel carrying them off. The two need different barriers.
Sources
Read next
- The best raised bed covers to keep squirrels out
Fabric stops birds and insects; only wire stops a squirrel that digs. Which cover for which animal, sized to a 4 x 8 bed.
- The best garden netting
Cheap protection by the square foot, and the mesh sizes and pinning that decide whether it works.
- The best plant cages and cloches
Pop-up cages and cloches ranked by published dimensions and how well the skirt actually pins down.
- Garden Protection
Cages, cloches, netting and rabbit fencing, sized to the animal doing the damage rather than to the bed.