Outsmart Garden Pests: The Best Time to Set Up Insect Screens

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Those pesky bugs eating your garden crops can be super annoying, but there’s a handy solution – insect netting! This garden accessory creates a barrier between your plants and those irritating insects. There are different types of netting that can protect against tiny bugs like flea beetles or larger ones like cabbage moths. The key is to get the netting up at the right time to really take advantage of it.

When you should put up the netting depends on what you’re growing and the pests that like to munch on those crops. For spring gardens with cool-weather veggies like broccoli and cabbage, cover them right after planting in March. For summer crops that are prone to flea beetle damage, like eggplant and tomatillos, get the netting up in late April through early June. And if you have plants that need pollination, you might want to remove the netting once they start blooming.

Setting up insect netting is actually pretty easy. You can use stuff you probably already have, like small PVC pipes bent into hoops or scrap wood, to create a frame that holds the netting up off your plants. Just don’t lay the netting right on top – that won’t keep the pests out. Before putting up the netting, take a close look at your crops for any eggs or damage so you don’t trap any bugs inside.

Even with the netting in place, you’ll still need to keep an eye out for those pesky critters. Some, like flea beetles, can actually overwinter in the soil. If you spot any problems, take the netting off, treat the plants, and then put it back up to keep new pests out. The good news is that insect netting can last 5-10 growing seasons, so you can reuse it year after year.