Bug Nets

[Gary350]

What is the best, easiest way to put up bug nets.

I have a 8' x 35' net I bought for a 30' strawberry row. Soon it will be time to cover the plants. I was thinking maybe 1' tall wooden stakes 2' apart down the center of the row might work to hold the net up in the center. It appears net will lay on the plants near the edges.

I have never used nets. I need ideas? I can shovel soil along the edges to keep net from blowing away.

[pepperhead212]

For peppers that are prone to pepper maggots, I put up a "net" of ultra thin Agribon, holding it up off the plants with pvc pipes (the pipes and fittings are rounded, and don't tear the covers). Then, at the base I hold it on with a very long bungee cord - you could hold it in place like you said, with soil, if it's not a bed, or container. Here is a photo of the cover on, then one just removed, showing the pvc setup. If it is a very broad bed, you could maybe put another pipe through the middle, to keep the net off the plants some. I've also done this lower, with brassicas in a bed, which is more like you would be doing, but no photos. That I held down with a bunch of pipes, along the sides.
Pepper plants growing through the tops of the covers 7-28 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Big Jim and Jalafuegos, a little over 15 inches, 6-25 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[applestar]

I use wire hoops or sections of chicken wire or larger spaced wire fencing bent into tunnels.

I’m using hoops that originally came attached to netting, securely sewn with fabric tapes. But the thread weathered and gave out over the years (Looking at them now, those are very expensive but the parts are still in usable shape).

I use the hoops and the netting separately now using stainless steel wire clothes pins and wooden spring pins.

Ends are tied into a single central knot or two knots at corners and pinned down with 12” U ground pins.

You might be able to bury the sides but I don’t have enough extra pathway soil so I pin down with 6 inch U ground pins (I have sets kind that come with plastic circles to hold the fabric and that do not.

At very basic levels, economical wire hoops can be made from rolls of heavy gauge wire sold in chain link fence section of the home/construction stores. Cut the already curved wire loops into desired hoop lengths.

Wire hoops typically need one or more support line at top — I use strings or thin fiberglass poles.

Chicken and larger hole wire fence sections make more solid tunnels that also deter animals and birds. I zip tie bamboo stakes frame and make it possible to more easily pick up the tunnels.

I’ve also used fence with large enough holes for my hand and arm as well as cutting the wires to make strategically located access.

One other method that I’ve tried but haven’t always been satisfied is to use coiled irrigation tubes cut into hoops and much larger/taller hoops made of coiled pvc tubing or bent pvc pipes. One advantage though, is you can buy clamps that are matched to tubing/pipes that are very secure.

…LOL! Pepperhead212 got his post in ahead of me promoting his PVC piping frames. I guess I need to experiment some more….

** Note that agribon type fabric can hold in heat and humidity, more so than insect netting, so you need to be aware of possible issues depending on weather conditions and plants inside. Also will flap and blow more from wind

— If needed, best way to hold down the fabric/netting is to use tie-down rope or tape zigzagged over the tunnel and secured to the ground.

[applestar]

Strawberries — critters and birds will eventually learn to bite or peck the netting touching the ripe berries and squish the juice out… then proceed to tear up the netting to get to the berries.

So it’s important to make sure the berries are well inside the protection.

By the way — I just realized you said strawberries — the strawberry blossoms need to be pollinated so you would need to switch to bird netting when they start to flower.

I put the insect netting OVER the bird netting or bird netting OVER agribon-type fabric (bird netting helps to hold down the fabric from flapping) and later remove the insect netting when blooming and/or agribon when it gets too hot/humid and pollinators need access.

I tried putting the insect netting back on over the bird netting once most of the berries had set with one June bearer strawberry bed last year — thinking if the birds can’t see the ripening berries, they won’t be as tempted …I was also dealing with juvenile voles that could get in from tiniest gaps — but that blocked airflow too much in the heat and bunch of the berries got gray mold.

[imafan26]

SInce you are planting in rows you can just use pvc hoops. You would use narrow stakes or rebar on the edge and bend 1/2 pvc over and put the ends over the stakes. For a long row you may have to have straight pvc as a stabilizer and then put the cloth over that. You can also use ladder mesh that is sold in building supplies. It is used for masonry. I actually use insect netting that is made for rows. It is expensive but it is heavy duty and reusable. As Applestar said you have to make sure the sides are weighted or buried with soil to keep things from getting underneath. The net size determines what goes through. Insect netting does not block as much light or hold in heat the way that agribon does. It is not a row cover. I tried using a light row cover before I heard about insect netting and it cooked my plants in my climate. When I bought my insect netting it was enough for a 10 ft row and it came with 6 hoops. It looks like metal ladder and the ends just poke into the ground and it makes a 24 or 36 inch tunnel in the center. I forget, it has been awhile since I used it. I have switched to fruit and tree bags because I don't typically plant in rows, my plants are higher than the hoop, and it was a pain to have to go in and out of any netting every time I had to harvest the fruit. The fruit bags are more tedious to have to bag all the fruit, but it is easier not to have to get in and out of jail.

Insect netting also comes in sheets as well. The one that I got for the row has bigger eyes. It is o.k. to stop birds, but will not stop whiteflies. I have to stop white flies on the tomatoes.