I’m curious if the stucco netting is available at Home Depots near some forum members. I’m assuming that it is because the posts about it are very recent, but I write this because when I follow the link it goes to the product at HD but it is unavailable at the store, at any store nearby, and can’t even be shipped to my store. Did the whole supply just run out? My last Wilco chicken wire was thin and rusted quickly. Never seen that before…musta changed manufacturer, eh?
Is this a sleeve? It looks like a single layer of rolled mesh. Once the squirrels and racoon’s hit here, it is a race to pick what is left undamaged. If this copper were a sleeve, I’d try it in a heartbeat.
It is a sleeve! Here’s a better picture of it:
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Seedy, I’ve been buying stucco netting at a local Home Depot for 3-4 years here in the Los Angeles area. They have been out on occasion, and once they switched brands…but then I went to Lowes and found the Davis Wire brand I like. Since it’s used in construction, I’m sure there is a supply just about anywhere that stucco is used. I’ve contacted the Davis Wire company by email and received an answer, so you might try that. They are “the largest wire manufacturer in the western United States”, according to their website.
Since I’m going to use it underground, I just bought a spray can of Rustoleum Cold Galvanizing Compound to try to extend it’s life underground against gophers. The 1-1.5" holes are not the perfect size for gophers but they are large enough for apple tree roots to pass through at least during the life of the stucco netting.
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That looks great, though so thin! I will be very interested to hear how your season goes. Best of luck to you! If it works it could be such a simple, light solution to many problems.
I purchased some of this:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IKVH7SY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
to use to make metal pockets for my fruit, like Mr. Clint, Annie, and Drew attest to. I am putting the description “extra durable and can be used in multiple applications” to the test! Ha! We discovered a groundhog in our yard over the weekend, to add to the multitudes of squirrels, birds, and opossums we already are contending with. We’ll see how it goes. I hope this will be effective enough to deter the critters unless/until I can get them out of my yard! I will be doing double bagging, as Drew describes below, plus a spray for the moths which inevitably attack. [quote=“wildscaper, post:28, topic:2110”]
I tried the metal mesh bags over a zip lock it worked great.
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I’m glad to hear from so many of you finding creative solutions to wildlife problems. We’re all in this together! Hopefully we can learn from each other; I will let you all know how things go with my bags–wish me luck!
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Ground hogs are bad news! They totally wrecked my garden one year until I trapped them.
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Excellent ideas. The hole size should definitely work for gophers around here; the smallest young ones I’ve seen are twice the size of a chicken egg. My trouble with them is that they could dig down as far as three feet. I have diligently trapped them here to the point where they are, for the last year, gone. The burrower that can go through that mesh is voles (moles don’t generally eat plants) which is why I use the 1/2" hardware cloth in their range…1 ft. above ground, 1 ft. below. They will eat the roots off of trees, tomato plants, etc., before you know they’re there. These critters that we’re describing will eat through plastic, etc., in no time; this stucco netting looks like a very useful item…thanks!
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Yikes! I have been blaming everything on the squirrels… perhaps it’s the groundhogs! What did you use to trap them? I’m debating single vs. double door traps.
I used a double-door live trap. This is the time of year to do it, because later there are too many other goodies in the garden to choose from. I forget what I used for bait, maybe apples or carrots. Or maybe fresh corn.
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Anything thats stealing my fruit or garden produce is eliminated at the first opportunity. NO MERCY!
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Using nylon fine fabric mesh, I sewed it into a large bag to cover a small cherry tree. last year I had a fruit fly infestation problem, they went right through the bird netting that was used last year and ruined all of them. Cherries are particularly vulnerable to bird and sometimes raccoon theft where I live (Silicon Valley CA). This fabric was tested on an old orange,the flies could not get in. The bag has easy access from below using a twist tie. I hope this works!
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Looks great! I like your idea! Best of luck!
Like your creativity. Do you think it will let rain/ moisture in and out well?
How well it ventilate?
Good luck! Lets hope it works huh. We can e-high five at the end of the season.
Drew
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Is that Tule?
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Hi Mamuang,
I just installed this over this cherry tree earlier today. Moisture should not be a problem, it will not rain, significantly, around here for another six months. If it does, plastic sheeting will be used to cover the trees to prevent fruit cracking, another potential problem. This fabric, however, dries out quickly and should let enough light in, we will see. Fruit harvest should be in a few weeks. This variety of cherry is Coral Champagne.
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Hi Drew,
Tule fabric is a more accurate description (it is used a lot of times for the brides veils for wedding dresses), they called it sheer fabric at the store where I bought it. They charged me $2.50 per linear yard x 60" wide, a really good price. I will be making one for the much larger Stella cherry tree (grafted with six other varieties) soon. Cherry harvest should be in 3 to 6 weeks. I will give updates.
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I got this last year; it does come in 54" width as well.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HLSGEGW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This 54" is only 40 yards. I’ve picked up an ivory and a couple shades of green to blend in well.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014II89T8/ref=s9_dcacsd_dcoop_bw_c_x_2_w?th=1
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Thank you! I may not try it this year, because the late frosts did all my big fruit in (again). I may do it on figs, though, because my chipmunks love them and I didn’t see my two enormous black snakes near the chipmunk haunts last year. That’s the best protection I’ve found, lol. I wish I could train them to hang out in the tree orchard, too 
If anyone else tries the copper mesh sleeves (Stuff-It), please let us know what you think.
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That will work! I need one for my Montmorency, Will you make them for people? I don’t know if I’m allowed to ask that question.
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