Is your garden dangerous to wildlife?Safe netting of fruit trees

The fruit on backyard trees is a tempting treat for hungry wildlife. Tree netting is a popular way to protect fruit from wildlife but the wrong type of netting can kill or injure animals such as birds, flying-foxes and possums.

Netting with a large mesh size will allow animals to get tangled, and their struggling causes deep cuts and strangulation, often leading to death.

Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986, a person is potentially committing cruelty and may be liable if something they do results in unreasonable pain or suffering being caused to an animal.

If you decide to use netting in your garden, there are easy ways to prevent harm to wildlife. The right type of netting will protect your fruit but the wrong type can injure and kill animals.

What type of netting is safe?Wildlife-friendly netting has a mesh size of less than 5 mm. If you can poke a finger through the netting, it is not safe for wildlife.

Before you buy netting, it’s a good idea to check it using the ‘finger test’. If it passes the ‘finger test’, white netting is best because animals are more likely to see it at night.

Photo. Sue Johnston Photo. Bev Brown

Photos: Denise Wade

How should I use it?

If you are netting the whole tree:

Pull netting tightly over the tree. Don’t throw netting loosely over trees or allow netting to lie across the ground, where it can entangle reptiles and other animals

Fix netting tightly to the tree trunk – this will stop rats and birds from reaching fruit It can be easier to protect selected branches rather than netting the whole tree. A

range of bags, sleeves and socks are available, to protect fruit on individual branches.

Keep netting off the ground where animals such as lizards could become caught.

Protecting individual branches with bags is a quick and easy option.

What else can I do to protect wildlife? Remove old netting that is not protecting fruit. To avoid accidental entanglements,

dispose of old netting by placing it in a strong plastic bag and then into a bin that goes to landfill.

Check netted trees every day to ensure the nets are not loose and that no animals are caught.

Helping injured wildlifeWildlife in Victoria are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, which makes it illegal to wilfully disturb or destroy wildlife. Getting help quickly is critical for wildlife that has been caught in netting. If you find wildlife entangled in netting, do not try to handle or rescue the animal yourself. Some wildlife caught in netting, especially flying foxes or snakes, may carry diseases and/or be dangerous to people.

Call Wildlife Victoria 03 8400 7300 or AWARE 0412 433 727 (24hrs)

Or visit www.wildlife.vic.gov.au/sick-injured-or-orphaned-wildlife for the contact details of wildlife rehabilitation organisations.

Authorised by the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources

1 Spring Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Telephone (03) 9651 9999

© Copyright State of Victoria, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources 2018

Except for any logos, emblems, trademarks, artwork and photography this document is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia license.

ISBN 978-1-925734-29-4 (Print)ISBN 978-1-925734-30-0 (pdf/online/MS Word)

animalwelfare.vic.gov.au

Photos: Lawrence Pope

animalwelfare.vic.gov.au