Butterfly wars - daft question about netting- help please.

[marchogaeth]

My susceptible garden veg are netted with veggie mesh. I have provided lots of alternative plants but for some reason the polytunnel is proving even more irresistible than ever to white butterflies. I've been picking and squeezing but now they are moving into the CACA leaves and I feel like losing the battle (and damaging my eyesite!).

SO the daft question - If I net my doorways with proper butterfly netting will the bees etc still be able to get in?

I have a feeling this has been answered before but couldn't find it.

[Two_Sheds]

Why do the bees need to get in?


Flies do a lot of pollination, probably more than bees do, and of course some plants are self-pollinating

[Two_Sheds]

I have provided lots of alternative plants but for some reason the polytunnel is proving even more irresistible than ever to white butterflies.

Yes, they certainly deserve their name: cabbage whites. They have inbuilt preference & radar for brassicas, and are amazingly expert at finding them, and will batter themselves stupid trying to get through a net


I caught & squashed 21 of them at the weekend. They love drinking nectar from verbena bonariensis, so I sit beside that and catch them in a kid's fishing net. It really is like shooting ducks in a barrel (or something )

[alldigging]

There are about forty billion of these on our allotments at the moment. It's like a dancing cloud above the plants.

[marchogaeth]

Why do the bees need to get in?


Flies do a lot of pollination, probably more than bees do, and of course some plants are self-pollinating

I just want to give the bees access to as much pollen as possible, they aren't essential. I like the fact that the bees come to the tunnel when it's dull and wet outside and thought that if I was netting on bright days they might be less likely to squeeze in round the doors at other times.

[Polytastic]

Take no prisoners. Get yourself some fine mosquito netting and cover the doorway. There STILL appear to be the odd cabbage white in mine simply from people walking in and out I guess. They are everywhere this year and the mosquito netting is the only hope. Search the leaves of everything for those silly yellow eggs as they are laying them everywhereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Yes the pollination will still occur inside as it has for mine and if you worry about the bees then place some attractants in pots each side fo the doorway to the poly. I always worry fi the bees get caught in poly tbh.

[Two_Sheds]

Search the leaves of everything for those silly yellow eggs

I don't rub off the eggs any more, because ladybird eggs are also yellow

I do crush the adults & the caterpillars though. My squeamishness evaporated many years ago. This is yesterday's catch:



I catch them with a fishing net while they're feeding on verbena bon & lavender. Easy pickings, and each adult is responsible for producing about 300 eggs

[marchogaeth]

I always worry fi the bees get caught in poly tbh.

I used to but they pop in and out quite happily when all the doors are shut through gaps round the frame.

I found some very flexible veggie mesh type stuff in the local garden shop which looks like it would be ok even cut up quite small so I'm going to use that and be better prepared next year with veggie mesh frames to go over things. I'll also be less random in my planting which is most of the problem now - a brassica here, a brassica there. I don't mind the squishing it's just the quantity and how much damage can be done by one lone grazer!

[marchogaeth]

I don't rub off the eggs any more, because ladybird eggs are also yellow

Good point. I have seen one ladybird so far this year.