Introduction
Practicing crop farming is great. Knowing how to protect your crops from insects is better. But you can do both.
And get yourself the best out of your crops…high and quality yields.
And so, the question is： how do you protect your crop from insects? Here’s the insect netting comprehensive guide (2022) that you can use.
Just keep calm and continue reading.
What Are the Advantages and Role of Insect Netting?
Everywhere you look, in the garden, compound, you will find many insects. Science says there are over 200 million insects for every person globally!
While some of these insects are beneficial to your crops, many are destructive. They attack and eat your crops – leaves, stem, roots, and every other part. More, they spread diseases that can wipe out your whole crops. Your crops growth becomes stunted.
Well, isn’t it heartbreaking? Yep, you need to know the insects that affect your crops. It is only then you can take action. How can you protect your crops? And without harming insects through pesticides?
Insect netting is gaining popularity as crop farmers are discovering its benefits. Here’s what you will gain by netting
- Pest Control: Your farm is protected from harmful insects and pests. It does not stop there; it keeps useful insects inside your netting. The useful insects pollinate your crops.
- Disease Prevention: The insects spread diseases that can affect your crops. The net will block this insect, and your crops become free from the diseases.
- Regulate the Temperature, Soil, and Humidity: Your crops will not experience bad weather conditions. The net offers protection from winds, heavy rain, and hailstones. This is good even for sensitive crops such as cabbages and greens.
- Block Sunlight: The net has a shading effect in your garden. Because it transmits less amount of sunlight.
- Reduce the use of pesticides: Using insecticides on your crops is hazardous for the plants and environment. In the case of netting, you don’t need insecticides.
Where to Use?
Good question.
The net can be used everywhere you’re farming. Take greenhouse, and for example, Insect netting can provide a mesh screen at openings such as doors and vents.
Here are some more areas where you can use netting.
- Plant: Install insect netting directly over your plants to create small tunnels. The net is ideal to stop smaller pests’ damage to plants. Besides, it protects against wind, rain, and hailstone.
- Garden: The netting protects your fruit and vegetable plants from pests, support climbing plants, and prevent weather damage
- Fruit trees: It protects your trees from fruit flies and months. According to studies by research gate, they reported a decrease in damage when using the net.
What are the Most Important Insects that the Insect Netting Keeps Out?
The nets will keep your plants healthy and protect them from insects. The netting protects against the Aphids. The aphids come colored and suck juices from your plants. They attack all plants, although they mostly attack cauliflower plants.
The netting will also protect against insect pest known as thrips. They damage your fruits and vegetables, including leaves, roots, and flowers. They mostly attack turnips.
Another harmful insect is the whitefly. The insect sucks plant sap and spread many diseases. They usually attack courgettes.
Similarly, cutworms chew young plants’ stems and kill them. Many other insects include beetles, cabbage moths, bugs, leafhoppers, snails, slugs, and root maggots.
What’s the Material And Structure of the Insect Netting?
The insect netting is made of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) with a woven structure. The net material is also UV stabilized. The UV stabilized netting helps you protect your garden from extreme sun rays while maintaining proper air circulation.
Apart from UV, the net is light in weight. This is to make the installation in your garden easier. You can install it in your garden on your own.
The net structure is woven. It is constructed with a strong monofilament that provides extra tensile strength. The weaving prevents unraveling when cut. The weaving conforms to shade percentage and mesh density. This structure results in your garden having maximum air circulation.
The Most Popular Types of Insect Netting’s Mesh
Many types of nets are available and are used depending on the type of insects in your area:
- 50 mesh. The net protects your garden against whiteflies, aphids, and leaf miners.
- 40 mesh. The net partly prevents your crops from whiteflies. This is where weather condition disallows the use of 50 mesh nets.
- 32 mesh. Use the net to prevent fruit fly in your peppers.
- 25 mesh. The net will protect your orchards and vineyards from fruit flies.
How to Buy the Insect Netting?
When you decide to buy insect netting, there are considerations to make. For instance, which insect do you need to protect?
With so many types of nets, you need to know what you are trying to stop. Different types of insects and pests are attracted to different crops and the sunlight, moisture, and ventilation they need.
What color do you need?
Select your preferred color. Research by research gate on tomato plants grown under various Colored nets showed.
- Yellow and blue nets had a lower population of thrips, whiteflies, and aphids.
- White, grey, and -colored nets have a lower mite population.
- The neutral-color resulted in higher yields.
What size do you need?
You should have an idea of where you will use the netting. If the netting is being draped over supports, look for soft netting. And know how much sunlight, moisture, and ventilation your crops need.
Installation Accessories
Once you purchase the net, get some accessories such as ties, fixing, pegs, and clips that go with the net.
Buy ground cover pegs for securing the netting in place. Ground pegs are ideal for mesh netting or net claw pegs. They secure the net and release the netting easily.
Pick also the polyester monofilament wire. It is lighter than metal and will make your installation easy and faster than wire.
Installation Methods
Install your insect netting in 2 main ways. You can choose either a full canopy or a tunnel. The two methods vary in cost and are safe for your crops.
You can also use the net with
- Net houses – lightweight frames with poles and cables that support the net
- Greenhouses – air vents are covered with nets, or all of the walls of the greenhouse are made of nets
- Walk-in tunnels- completely covered with nets or covered with net and PE sheets
Unfold the net or, if using last year, untangle. It will unfold easily. Make sure you leave no gaps or openings in the netting. Secure your netting on the ground with weights such as bricks or blocks.
- Arrange t your plants and crops where you want to install the netting.
- Lay net over the plants. Ensure you provide space for plants to grow.
- Remove the cover when harvesting, pollination, weeding.
You should avoid tearing the net during the installation.
Warranty
EyouAgro Company provides quality insect netting to its clients. The brand also provides a warranty to customers when they buy their products. However, the warranty only applies when some set conditions are met. The nets have a 5-year warranty in a normal situation.
Conclusion
You will agree that protecting your crop from insects is not a daunting task. We are confident that if you follow our entire comprehensive guide 2022, your crops will continue to thrive and give you maximum yields.
