Wildlife-Friendly Netting for Fruit Trees

When protecting your fruit trees from raiding animals such as birds and flying foxes make sure you do it the right way to prevent any injuries or deaths to wildlife.

Many gardeners neglect to think about the consequences of using improper netting and methods.

• ALWAYS use white netting as the animals will see it.
• Stretch it over a frame. An easy frame can be made with 4 star pickets/warratahs and with 2 flexible black plumbing poly pipes over the star pickets to form a dome. This way flying foxes or fruit bats will just ‘bounce’ off.

• DO NOT use black monofilament netting.
• Shade cloth is an alternative, generally flying foxes will not go underneath it.
• Use fruit bags.

Following these guidelines will make life a lot easier for the volunteers of Bat Conservation & Rescue Qld who have to rescue hundreds of flying foxes every year who have become hopelessly entangled in loose netting. It is not always a happy ending, and often the poor bat dies of strangulation or lack of circulation and flesh wounds.

If you come across a sick or injured bat do not attempt to touch it as it is likely it will bite you if it is in pain. The members of Bat Conservation & Rescue are trained and vaccinated. The 24 hour rescue line is ph: 0488 228 134 For further information go to www.bats.org.au

The following videos are the rescue and recovery of a juvenile flying fox that was entangled in improper netting.