When Madurai homes need a monkey net
Monkeys live on and around the rocky hills near Madurai, including the hill at Thiruparankundram with its ancient temple. Houses in nearby streets sometimes see them on walls and rooftops. Signs you need protection:
- monkeys sitting on the parapet or compound wall
- fruit, vegetables or plants taken from the terrace or balcony
- kitchen windows pushed open
- damaged water tank lids, pipes or solar heaters
- clothes pulled off the line
Once monkeys learn there is food, they return. A net that closes the opening completely is the reliable fix.
What we fit
- Kitchen windows and utility areas
- Roof terraces, especially around the water tank and clothes lines
- Open staircases to the roof
- Lockable doors for areas you need to reach
Materials
| Part | What we use |
|---|---|
| Net | Heavy-duty UV-stabilised HDPE or nylon |
| Border | Stainless-steel wire rope or heavy rope |
| Anchors | Stainless-steel eye bolts at close spacing |
| Edges | Fully closed to slab and walls |
On an open Madurai terrace, UV stability matters as much as strength.
Step by step
- Work out how the monkeys get in: walls, trees, pipes or neighbouring roofs.
- Plan a fully closed enclosure, including the top.
- Fix heavy anchors.
- Tension the border tightly.
- Lace the net with extra ties at the top edge and corners.
- Add a lockable door if needed.
- Pull-test the net.
Enclosing part of a terrace
Netting the whole of a large flat roof can be costly. Often it is enough to enclose the part monkeys target, such as the area around the water tank and the clothes line, with a door for access. If they also come through kitchen windows, those are netted too.
Reducing visits
Keep fruit, food and puja offerings indoors, close kitchen windows when you go out, keep bins covered and never feed monkeys.
Our monkey safety nets page has the full details, and the guide on how to stop monkeys entering your home is a useful read too.
Temple hills and food
Monkeys around Madurai’s hill temples are used to being fed by visitors, so they are bold around people and quick to look for food in nearby homes. Homes on streets leading up to the hills are the most affected. Keeping food, fruit and offerings out of sight makes a real difference alongside the net.
Monkey and pigeon nets together
If your home gets both, a single heavy-duty net with a small mesh keeps out both, so there is no need for two layers.
After the monsoon
Heavy nets on open roofs face months of sun and the monsoon rains. Check them after the rains for stretched sections and loose ties.
