What was supposed to keep birds away from plants at a Maui Home Depot has turned into exactly the kind of scene no one wants in a garden aisle. Shoppers and animal rescuers in Kahului say mesh netting hung over the store’s garden center has been trapping and killing birds, leaving carcasses tangled in the barrier and sparking a wave of local outrage.
Residents and volunteers say the mesh barrier went up in late May. Since then, they report staff have been pulling down dead birds every few days, only for more to show up. Rescue groups and customers are now demanding that the netting come down entirely and that the store switch to humane exclusion methods that keep wildlife out without ensnaring it.
According to Hawaii News Now, animal rescuer Sarah Haynes started documenting the situation after a routine shopping trip to the Kahului store. She told the outlet she "was horrified" to see multiple dead birds hanging in the mesh. After later spotting a similar clip online, she went back to check and said she found more carcasses suspended in the netting.
Hawaii News Now also reports that a Home Depot corporate public affairs officer said the company is looking into the situation and has promised an update, though none has been publicly detailed yet.
PETA’s Captive Animal Case Specialist, quoted in the same report, did not mince words, saying "we strongly recommend against the use of these deterrent nets" and adding that the group will follow up with Home Depot about getting the netting removed permanently. Local rescuers say they want a clear timetable for removal and a commitment that managers will replace the mesh with safer, professionally installed exclusion systems that do not trap birds.
How garden netting can trap wildlife
Flexible garden and crop-protection mesh sold at big-box stores is marketed to keep birds off plants. The problem, animal advocates point out, is that when this kind of netting sags or leaves gaps, small birds can slip in and then become fatally entangled as they struggle to escape.
Retailers stock rolls of consumer bird netting as part of their outdoor offerings, including listings on Home Depot. Federal guidance warns that loose, flexible nylon or polypropylene netting "can entrap and kill birds" when it is installed or maintained improperly, and recommends using alternative exclusion measures that do not pose the same risks.
Legal implications under federal law
The controversy is not just about optics or ethics. It also brushes up against federal wildlife protections. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it unlawful to "take" most migratory bird species without authorization, and that can include killing, capturing or otherwise harming them.
As outlined by Audubon and federal guidance, the law’s protections extend to nests, eggs and live birds, and they are used to shape avoidance and minimization measures for businesses and developers. Federal agencies ultimately decide when and how to enforce the statute, but it is the reason advocates say companies should rely on proven, humane exclusion systems instead of loose, flexible netting.
For now, the controversial mesh remains in place at the Kahului Home Depot, even as rescuers and PETA keep pressing the company for a permanent fix and a public update. Local volunteers say they want to see the netting swapped out for rigid exclusion or other professionally installed barriers that do not pose an entanglement risk. Home Depot has said it will review the matter, and the Maui community is still waiting to hear what that review leads to.
