Make your garden wildlife safe
A garden that is safe for wildlife is safer for pets and children too.
Fruit tree netting
Unsafe fruit tree netting can trap and kill flying foxes and birds. If you want to protect your fruit with netting, you must use wildlife safe netting. Netting with a mesh aperture (hole size) of 5mm x 5mm or less when fully stretched is safe. If you can poke a little finger through the net it is not wildlife safe.
A good alternative to netting a whole tree is using net bags or fruit socks to protect bunches of fruit or individual branches. Leave what you don’t need to share with wildlife. Remove old netting that is not protecting fruit and check netted trees every day to ensure the nets are not loose and that no animals are trapped.
Visit My Smart Garden or Managing Wildlife for more information about safe netting.
Report illegal nets
In Victoria, all wildlife is protected by law, and it is illegal to use or sell illegal household fruit netting. You can report illegal net sightings online to Crime Stoppers Victoria or on 1800 333 000.
Fruit Tree Net Swap Pilot results
From November 2025 to March 2026 the Conservation Regulator led a partnership project that brought together key wildlife organisations including Zoos Victoria and RSPCA, and five local councils (including Yarra) to tackle the escalating issues surrounding Grey-headed Flying-fox and other wildlife entanglement in household netting across Victoria.
Under Victorian regulations introduced in 2021, it is illegal in Victoria to use or sell household fruit tree netting with a mesh size bigger than 5mm x 5mm. Larger mesh netting is more likely to entangle, distress, and seriously injure or kill animals.
Our community helped protect native wildlife, with hundreds of unsafe fruit tree nets now removed from homes across Melbourne.
Delivered between November 2025 and March 2026, the program has resulted in:
- 614 illegal nets surrendered
- 359 legal nets given to residents
- 450kg of nets sent to recycling.
Frequently asked questions
An easy way to check if your net is legal is the finger poke test. If an adult finger can fit through the gaps, chances are that the net is illegal.
Netting used to protect household fruit-trees, vegetable gardens, or other fruiting plants must have a mesh size of 5 mm x 5 mm or less at full stretch.
If you use netting to protect your household fruit or vegetable harvest you will need to comply with this new mandatory requirement introduced under Victoria’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2019 (POCTA Regulations).
Any existing household fruit netting that does not meet this specification must be replaced with appropriate netting.
The regulation applies to both the sale and use of household fruit netting. It does not apply to sale or use of netting in commercial circumstances.
Fruit on household trees and plants is a tempting treat for wildlife. Netting is a popular way to protect fruit, but inappropriate types of netting can kill or injure animals such as birds, possums or flying foxes.
Netting with a large mesh size is more likely to entangle animals and their struggling can cause deep cuts and strangulation, often leading to death.
Reducing the mesh size of netting will greatly reduce the risk of animal entanglement.
Never attempt to touch or handle a flying fox. Flying foxes can carry rare diseases that are transferable to humans. Only experienced and vaccinated people wearing appropriate personal protective equipment should handle flying-foxes.
If you find a flying-fox trapped in fruit tree netting, call 136 186 to find an experienced rescuer or use the Help for Injured Wildlife tool.
Tips to keep wildlife safe
Poisons and baits
Avoid using poisons and baits as these may kill non-target animals. Rat poison may kill owls and other native animals, while snail pellets will kill blue tongue lizards. These products pose a risk to children as well as pets.
Safe Cat, Safe Wildlife
Keep your cat indoors or in an outdoor enclosure to protect them and wildlife. For ideas on keeping kitty happy, visit Safe Cat, Safe Wildlife.
Fishponds and pools
Water in your garden is great for attracting frogs and birds. However, you should make sure anything that falls in the water has a way to climb out again. You can use rocks and branches or a “frog log” in your pool. Find out how to build a frog pond.
Water for wildlife
Put water out for wildlife in summer. Add sticks and stones to make sure anything that falls in can climb out again. Change the water regularly to prevent mosquitoes breeding.
Slow down on the road
Wildlife are at risk on our roads. Always observe speed limits. Slow down in wet weather and when it is dark, dawn or dusk. If you hit a bird or mammal, stop and check. Call Wildlife Victoria for help. A possum or kangaroo may have a surviving joey (baby) in its pouch that can be saved.