Hey everyone! I've been watching a bunch of gardening videos and they often show people using fine-mesh cloth to cover their beds to keep pests out. But I'm wondering about the impact on pollinators? How can you tell if you're accidentally trapping other insects inside without any natural predators to control them? I might have more questions depending on the responses, but I've never really found this topic explained properly. Thanks for any advice!
3 Answers
The main goal is to keep all insects out, but this mostly works for self-pollinating plants, like tomatoes and peppers, or for plants you want to eat before they flower, like brassicas (kale, cabbage, broccoli, etc.). Personally, I usually cover my brassicas to fend off cabbage moth worms. If not, they get destroyed fast, and I prefer not to spray them with chemicals.
Great points! When using insect netting, it's best to cover your plants right after transplanting or when direct-sown seedlings are sprouting; this safeguards them during their most vulnerable stages. Just remember to remove the netting when flowering starts for plants that need pollination. It's not a set-and-forget solution, but if you time it right, you can really minimize pest damage.
I also use insect netting over my brassicas to block those pesky cabbage worms. Since brassicas don’t need pollination, it’s not an issue. For my melons and squash, I cover them early to avoid vine borers, but I plan to take those off when they start flowering because pollination is key. Just a heads up: I did trap some aphids under my covers once, and they caused some damage since my usual predators couldn’t get in. So, it's something to watch out for!