How to choose Bird Netting
Why mesh size, GSM and construction all matter
Knowledge Centre | Shade & Crop Protection
Bird netting can look simple, but products with similar mesh sizes can be engineered for very different jobs. The right choice depends not only on aperture and fabric weight, but also on mesh geometry, yarn construction and manufacturing consistency.
Mesh size tells you what the net can keep out. Construction tells you how the net is built.
Wildlife-Friendly Fine Mesh
Lightweight Hexagonal Net
Heavy-Duty Diamond Net
Three bird-net constructions for different applications. Same purpose does not mean same structure.
The Question
What should you look at when choosing bird netting?
Most buyers start with two questions: What is the mesh size? And what is the GSM? Both are useful, but neither tells the whole story.
A third question is just as important: How is the net actually constructed?
For agricultural bird netting, performance is influenced by mesh geometry, yarn structure, UV stabilisation, knitting control and consistency across long production runs. Two nets can look similar on a specification sheet and still be built very differently.
Three Nets for Three Different Applications
1. Wildlife-Friendly Fine Mesh - 5 x 5 mm | 45 gsm
Our fine-mesh 45 gsm bird net is designed for applications where a small aperture is required. In Victoria, netting used to protect household fruit trees, vegetable gardens and other household fruiting plants must have a mesh size of 5 mm x 5 mm or less at full stretch.
The Victorian requirement is intended to reduce the risk of birds, possums and flying foxes becoming entangled in inappropriate larger-mesh household fruit netting. The rule applies to household use and does not apply to commercial circumstances.
For household applications, correct installation still matters: netting should be secured rather than left loose, and wildlife-safe use involves more than aperture alone.
Reference: Agriculture Victoria, Use of fruit netting - harvest without harm (page updated 17 September 2026).
2. Lightweight Hexagonal Bird Net - 15 x 15 mm | 35 gsm
The 35 gsm net uses a lightweight hexagonal structure with an approximately 15 x 15 mm opening. It is particularly suited to large seasonal coverage applications such as vineyards, where ease of deployment, handling and removal can be important.
Its lower mass makes it practical across large areas while still providing a physical barrier against birds. It is a different design objective from a heavy-duty permanent or semi-permanent net.
3. Heavy-Duty Diamond Bird Net - 15 x 15 mm | 70 gsm
Our 70 gsm heavy-duty net also uses an approximately 15 x 15 mm opening, but its construction is substantially heavier and uses a diamond mesh geometry.
This illustrates an important point: the 35 gsm and 70 gsm nets may share the same nominal aperture, but they are not the same product. Material weight, mesh geometry and yarn construction change the role the finished net is designed to perform.
The smallest mesh is not automatically the strongest net, and the heaviest net is not automatically the right net. Application comes first.
Beyond GSM
The Difference You Cannot See From Weight Alone
GSM measures the mass of material per square metre. It does not explain how that material is arranged inside the net.
Our bird-net construction uses a 4-bar, double-yarn design. Simpler nets in the market may use a 2-bar, single-yarn construction. The difference is structural: more yarn elements participate in forming the knitted net.
A more substantial multi-yarn structure can distribute local loads through more yarn elements. However, bar count alone should not be treated as a complete strength specification. Resin quality, yarn consistency, UV stabilisation, net weight and knitting control also matter.
Simplified structural comparison: 2-bar single-yarn construction versus 4-bar double-yarn construction. Diagram is illustrative, not a machine schematic.
GSM tells you how much material is in the net. It does not tell you how that material has been constructed.
Manufacturing
One Continuous Yarn: Why Production Continuity Matters
A second difference is how yarn is supplied during long netting runs.
In many beam-fed or package-fed production systems, yarn supply eventually needs to be changed or reconnected as production continues. Each supply change creates another transition that must be controlled.
Our production approach is designed around continuous yarn feeding after extrusion, minimising intermediate yarn-supply changes through the netting process. The objective is not simply speed. It is consistency across long production runs.
Fewer yarn-supply transitions can support more uniform production and reduce the number of change points that need to be managed. We describe this as a manufacturing-control advantage rather than claiming that every yarn transition automatically creates a weak point.
Manufacturing continuity matters
A bird net can cover hundreds of metres. Manufacturing consistency needs to travel the same distance.
Common Misconception:
'If Two Nets Are Both 70 gsm, They Must Be Similar'
Not necessarily. GSM tells you the mass per square metre. It does not tell you the mesh geometry, number of yarn elements forming the structure, resin quality, UV stabilisation, knitting consistency or how the yarn supply was managed during production.
Weight is a specification. Construction is engineering.
Which Bird Net Should I Choose?
Product | Mesh | Weight | Structure | Typical application |
Wildlife-Friendly Fine Mesh | 5 x 5 mm | 45 gsm | Fine mesh | Household fruit trees / wildlife-sensitive household use |
Lightweight Vineyard Net | 15 x 15 mm | 35 gsm | Hexagonal | Vineyards / seasonal large-area crop protection |
Heavy-Duty Bird Net | 15 x 15 mm | 70 gsm | Diamond | More demanding agricultural / longerterm applications |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does smaller mesh always mean better bird netting?
No. Mesh size should suit the target application. Smaller apertures can be important for wildlife-friendly household fruit netting, while commercial crop protection may prioritise different balances of coverage, weight, handling and durability.
Does higher GSM automatically mean better quality?
No. Higher GSM means more mass per square metre. Quality also depends on resin, UV stabilisation, yarn consistency, net geometry, knitting structure and manufacturing control.
What is the difference between the 35 gsm and 70 gsm 15 mm nets?
The 35 gsm version is a lightweight hexagonal net suited to seasonal large-area applications such as vineyards. The 70 gsm version is a heavier diamond net intended for applications where a more substantial construction is preferred.
Why does 4-bar double-yarn construction matter?
It describes a more substantial knitted structure in which more yarn elements participate in forming the net. It should be considered alongside the finished net's material quality, GSM, UV stabilisation and manufacturing consistency.
Does the Victorian 5 x 5 mm rule apply to commercial orchards?
No. Agriculture Victoria states that the mandatory 5 x 5 mm-or-less rule applies to netting used for household fruiting plants and does not apply to sale or use in commercial circumstances.
Aus Crop Cover Insight
Look Beyond the Number on the Specification Sheet
When choosing bird netting, mesh size and GSM are useful starting points, but they do not tell the whole story.
Mesh size helps define the physical barrier. GSM tells you how much material is present. Mesh geometry and yarn construction tell you how that material is organised. Manufacturing control influences how consistently the structure is produced across long runs.
For this reason, a good bird net should be evaluated as a finished engineered product rather than by a single number.
Mesh size tells you what the net can keep out.
GSM tells you how much material is there.
Construction tells you how the net is built.
Manufacturing tells you how consistently it was built.
About the Aus Crop Cover Knowledge Centre
The Aus Crop Cover Knowledge Centre explains the materials, structures and manufacturing principles behind agricultural covering products. Our aim is to help Australian growers, resellers and contractors make better product decisions by understanding not only what a product is called, but how it is designed to perform.
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