Bird netting or anti-bird netting is a form of bird pest control. It is a

net Net or net may refer to: Mathematics and physics * Net (mathematics), a filter-like topological generalization of a sequence * Net, a linear system of divisors of dimension 2 * Net (polyhedron), an arrangement of polygons that can be folded up ...

used to prevent

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

s from reaching certain areas. Bird protection netting comes in a variety of shapes and forms, The most common is a small mesh (1 or 2 cm squares) either extruded and bi-oriented polypropylene or woven polyethylene. The color most used is black (as the carbon black UV inhibitor offers the best protection against solar rays), but also bird netting may be available in other colors like white (usually white netting is woven or knitted and has an even smaller mesh size as it will serve as a double purpose anti-hail net for the protection of fruits during summer hail storms or late spring during flowering) or green (usually used in home gardening and mostly sold at retail outlets for the DIY farmers). Professional anti-bird netting comes in jumbo rolls that offer considerable savings to the farmers or aquaculturists. Retail chains and local stores will offer smaller packages that fit the backyard gardener's needs.

Usages

Crop protection

Bird nets are used to prevent bird damage of

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

and

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

crop A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. When the plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or hydroponic ...

s as well as

seedling A seedling is a young sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle (embryonic root), the hypocotyl (embry ...

Frugivore A frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts and seeds. Approximately 20% of mammalian herbivores eat fruit. Frugivores are highly dependent on the abundance an ...

birds and bats can cause great damages to farmers as they tend to peck one fruit, then go to another, therefore ruining a large percentage of otherwise commercially valuable production. Once even a small portion is bitten off, that fruit cannot be sold and if harvested (even if there is no bacteria or virus brought by the frugivore) will rot or ferment, damaging the rest of the harvested case. Bird protection netting is applied directly on the stand-alone trees or espaliers like peaches, pears, apples, grapes, or on the side ventilation windows of growing tunnels as in the case of berries like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries. Anti-bird-netting-malla-antipajaros-size

Anti-bird-netting-malla-antipajaros-size

Fish protection

Bird netting may be used to protect

fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...

and

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

wildlife reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

s from

predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

birds.John Mosig (1998) "Australian Yabby Farmer",
pp. 61-66
/ref> Also in

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...

(like shrimp and tilapia farms to mention a few), growers need to protect their work and fish crops from marauding birds. These type of birds have usually a larger wing span (seagulls, pelicans, herons, cormorants etc.) and a larger mesh size (with individual strands being more resistant as it will be installed on a cable system crossing the growing ponds). These netting are usually white as to be very visible for the large sea birds will be deterred by the sight of a barrier to their diving into the ponds. Anti-bird-netting-malla-antipajaros

Building protection

Bird netting is one of the most effective and long lasting ways of bird proofing buildings and other structures against all urban bird species. It provides a discreet and impenetrable barrier that protects premises without harming the birds. Bird netting can be particularly effective for large open areas such as

roofs A roof ( : roofs or rooves) is the top covering of a building, including all materials and constructions necessary to support it on the walls of the building or on uprights, providing protection against rain, snow, sunlight, extremes of temper ...

and

loading bays A loading dock or loading bay is an area of a building where goods vehicles (usually road or rail) are loaded and unloaded. They are commonly found on commercial and industrial buildings, and warehouses in particular. Loading docks may be exterio ...

. Design considerations include the type and material of the fixings utilized and the bird species requiring exclusion.

Mining ponds

Miners will use chemical agents to extract minerals or metals from crushed rocks. These harmful chemical agents must be confined from volatiles, especially migratory species. In the United States EPA mandates that such cyanide ponds be covered at all times to prevent loss of wildlife.

References

{{reflist Bird pest control Nets (devices)