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["Alan Haigh" <alandhaigh@gmail.com>]

The need for netting is one reason I don't bother much with grapes, on my place I have just enough to forage a few bunches.  Cherries however are another matter and I have found that woven propelyne netting is much easier to deal with than the black mono-filament.  Even without a frame you can throw this netting over fruit trees and remove it fairly easily if you wait until just before the fruit is attractive and remove promptly after harvest.  The birds can see it because it's white with three stripes running through it to aid in positioning.  (I have no use for a harvest of bird corpses.)  It is also much stronger than monofilament and with some repair can be used for multi-seasons.  Midwest Vinyards is one source but it's hard to find rolls wide enough for fruit trees without sewing 2 sections together.