Protecting strawberries: Decoys and other preventative measures

If y’all are interested in protecting your strawberries with deer netting, then try what the landscapers around here use (and I’ve adopted) to support it above the plants: precut drop ceiling wire.
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A 50 count of galvanized wire 6 feet in length is $25.44 from my local big box home improvement store. If you want to take the shine off before you install it, spray it down with a degreaser, wash off the protective oil, allow it to dry and then douse it with distilled white vinegar. Allow several repeated treatments of vinegar and it will have a much more dull appearance. Stab one end of the wire into the ground and flex the wire into a gentle inverted U shape and plant the other end. Place a series of these running down your row, from one side to the other, and then unroll your 7 foot wide deer netting down the tunnel of wires. You can use small 3 to 4 inch long zip ties along the one long edge of the netting to attach it to the wires near the ground, leaving the other long edge free to be lifted for access and harvesting. This will make your life easier.

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