Stapling 0.35 mm² Insect Netting to a 36-Inch Hoop Tunnel End Wall: A 48 x 36 Inch Frame, Overlap Door Flap, and 84 Staples per End

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Frame each end of a 4-foot-wide low tunnel with a 48 x 36 inch 2x2 panel, staple 0.35 mm² netting to it every 2 inches, and add a 24-inch overlapping door flap. The fine mesh stops flea beetles that coarser nets let through.

What mesh size keeps flea beetles and cabbage moths out of a hoop tunnel?

Only the finest grade, 0.0138 square inches (0.35 mm²), blocks flea beetles and aphids, and it also stops moths. Coarser 0.85 mm² netting stops moths but lets flea beetles pass. Seal every side, including both end walls, or pests walk in the gaps.

Utah State University Extension's row cover guide publishes a table of which insects each mesh opening excludes. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System's pest exclusion bulletin says all sides must be sealed and the fabric kept from touching the plants.

Which Pests Each Mesh Stops

Pest 0.35 mm² 0.85 mm² 1.2 x 1.9 mm 5 x 3 mm
Flea beetles Yes No No No
Aphids Yes No No No
Leafhoppers Yes Yes No No
Moths Yes Yes Yes Yes
Squash bugs Yes Yes Yes Yes

Source: Utah State University Extension. A tunnel for brassicas needs the first column.

Materials and Tools

  • Arrow T50 staple gun loaded with 1/4-inch or 5/16-inch staples
  • Two 48-inch and two 33-inch 2x2 pieces per end, plus one 33-inch door crosspiece
  • Insect netting rated 0.35 mm², cut 52 x 40 inches per end wall
  • A 24 x 30 inch piece of netting for each door flap, clothespins, and scissors
  • Gloves and safety glasses

Build and Stapling Steps

  1. Frame the end. Join two 48-inch rails and two 33-inch uprights into a 48 x 36 inch rectangle, since a 2x2 is 1.5 inches thick.
  2. Mark the door. Set a crosspiece 30 inches up and leave the center 24 inches open.
  3. Cut the netting. Cut 52 x 40 inches and fold a 1-inch hem on the edge you will staple.
  4. Staple the top. Pull the net over the top rail and set a staple every 2 inches.
  5. Work down the sides. Pull gently so the weave stays square, then staple each upright every 2 inches.
  6. Count them. The 168-inch perimeter takes 84 staples per end, and shorter 1/4-inch staples are enough for netting.
  7. Cut the door. Slit the net down the center of the door opening, then staple a 6-inch overlap on each side.
  8. Seal the base. Bury the bottom 2 inches or pin it with landscape staples so no gap shows.

Pin the door shut with clothespins every 8 inches while pests are active.

Timing and Pollination

  • Put the net on at planting, before pests arrive, since nets only block what has not yet moved in
  • Remove it from crops that need insects for pollination once they flower
  • Keep the fabric off the plants by raising the hoops higher than the crop
  • Open the door for harvest on cool mornings, then close it

The same stapling pattern works for a tunnel built on a 4-by-8 strawberry bed cage with hinged lids. Rodents are a separate problem, and the raised bed hardware cloth liner handles them from below. The hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide shows when metal mesh beats netting.

The end frame is a small wood panel, built like the ones in attaching hardware cloth to wood frames.

FAQ

Is fine netting hotter than row cover?

It passes more light and air than a solid fabric, but check temperatures under it in midsummer.

Can I use 1/2-inch hardware cloth on the door instead?

Yes for rabbits, but it will not stop insects.

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