[swaine]

I'm making a temporary cage to cover my strawberry patch using canes and those ball shaped joints.

The strawberries are both early and late varieties so I guess they won't all flower at once.

I'm thinking of using chicken wire to keep out the birds. What are the right size holes for the chicken wire or should I be using something else?

Any suggestions would be helpful

[mr Isaccs]

I would presume chicken wire would be fine to protect from the biirds Swaine but last year I had a bit of a problem with wasps eating my fruit  (think it was wasps anyway), so this year I'm taking no chances, it will be enviromesh all the way and hopefully I may get to eat a strawberry or two myself, thats if any fruits develop after finding out I've suffered from strawberry black eye due to late frosts

[gillie]

If you cover your strawberries with environmesh how are the bees going to get in to pollinate the flowers?  I am going to cover mine with one inch plastic netting, perhaps with environmesh round the edge to keep mice out.

Gillie

[mr Isaccs]

Didn't think of that one Gillie. change of plan me thinks.
   Any ideas how to stop the pesky wisps eating my fruits?

[mr Isaccs]

Just been cross referencing this thread on the net and have read on several sites that most strawberry plants are hermaphrodite and therefore self pollinating,
   Maybe the enviromesh is still an option then

[DD.]

I use enviromesh and have no problems whatsoever.

I don't put it on until the fruit is well set though.

[swaine]

I use enviromesh and have no problems whatsoever.

I don't put it on until the fruit is well set though.

Thanks everyone for the advice. One other thing....how do you tell when the fruit is well set?

[Babstreefern]

I don't use anything.  I grow Bumble Bee mix, which the bees and wasps absolutely adore (its like 5* gormet for them), and the birds don't seem to bother with the strawbs .  My only problem are slugs and snails, for which I throw my old best friend, the old slug pellets

[Trikidiki]

I use enviromesh and have no problems whatsoever.

I don't put it on until the fruit is well set though.

Thanks everyone for the advice. One other thing....how do you tell when the fruit is well set?

The flower petals fall off.

[goodegg]

make sure to use slug pellets in your cage ,slugs love strawbs as much as we do.