Mesh&Net
Netting Buyer's Reference · meshandnet.com ·
The Netting Buyer's Reference
Quick answers
What mesh aperture stops thrips?
To exclude western flower thrips, the smallest common pest, you need a mesh aperture of about 0.19 mm (about 0.0075 in), based on Bethke and Paine (1991). Larger pests need less: cotton aphid about 0.34 mm, whitefly about 0.46 mm.
What shade percentage for tomatoes?
Around 30% shade suits most vegetables including tomatoes and peppers, per University of Delaware Cooperative Extension trials. Very heat-sensitive crops such as lettuce use 50 to 70%. Hotter, sunnier regions sit at the top of each range.
How long does UV-treated netting last?
UV-treated HDPE netting lasts about 4 to 5 years under outdoor exposure, versus about 2 to 3 years without UV treatment, per our partners catalogue. Actual life depends on sun exposure, tension and handling.
Should I pick the finest mesh to be safe?
No. Choose the largest aperture that still stops your target pest. Finer mesh cuts airflow and raises heat and humidity under the cover, which can harm the crop more than the pest would.
Table 1. Insect netting: aperture needed, pest by pest
The specification that matters is the opening size in millimetres, not the mesh count printed on the roll. Two nets with the same mesh count can have different apertures because thread diameter differs. The first four values are from Bethke and Paine (1991), cross-checked against University of Tennessee Extension guidance. The fifth comes from a different body of work: for spotted wing drosophila in berry and stone fruit, US extension programmes work to an opening below 0.98 mm.
| Target pest | Maximum aperture to exclude | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Western flower thrips | about 0.19 mm | about 0.0075 in |
| Cotton aphid | about 0.34 mm | about 0.013 in |
| Sweetpotato / silverleaf whitefly | about 0.46 mm | about 0.018 in |
| Leafminer (adult fly) | about 0.64 mm | about 0.025 in |
| Spotted wing drosophila | below 0.98 mm | below 0.039 in |
Rule of thumb: choose the largest aperture that still stops your target pest. Finer mesh cuts airflow and raises heat under the cover. See each aperture at real scale in the mesh size visualizer.
Table 2. Shade netting: percentage by crop
From University of Delaware Cooperative Extension heat-stress trials (Ernest and Johnson): a 30% shade cloth provides adequate cooling without blocking too much light for most vegetables, while 50 to 70% is used for very heat-sensitive crops such as lettuce. In the same trials, coloured shade cloth showed no advantage over standard black.
| Crop or use | Shade rate guidance | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Most vegetables (incl. tomatoes, peppers) | around 30% | UD Extension trials |
| Very heat-sensitive crops (e.g. lettuce) | 50 to 70% | UD Extension trials |
| Privacy, balcony and non-crop uses | higher rates, per goal | confirmed per project |
The catalogue range runs from 30% to 95% shade in widths of 1 to 12 metres, so both crop and non-crop uses are covered. Climate matters: hotter, sunnier regions sit at the top of each range. State the crop, location and goal in your request and we confirm the rate on the quote.
Table 3. Service life: what UV treatment changes
From our manufacturing partners' catalogue, for HDPE shade netting under outdoor exposure:
| Material | Typical service life |
|---|---|
| HDPE, non-UV treated | about 2 to 3 years |
| HDPE, UV treated | about 4 to 5 years |
If the net is meant to last more than one season, UV treatment is usually the cheapest insurance on the spec sheet. Actual life depends on sun exposure, tension and handling, which is why we state assumptions on the quote rather than promising a lifespan.
Table 4. Catalogue formats at a glance
| Family | Material | Key spec range | Widths | Standard lengths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insect Netting | 100% virgin HDPE, 3% UV | 30 to 150 gsm; mesh 18x14 to 50x25 | 1 to 5 m | 50 / 100 / 200 m |
| Shade & Privacy Netting | 100% new HDPE, UV or non-UV | 30% to 95% shade; 30 to 150 gsm | 1 to 12 m | 10 / 25 / 50 / 100 m |
| Anti-Hail Netting | 100% virgin HDPE, UV treated | mesh 8 to 50 mm; 50 to 100 g/m2 | 1 to 10 m | 50 to 300 m |
| Mesh Bags | 100% new PP | weaves 10x10 to 14x14 | std 1000 x 600 mm | 500 / 1000 pcs per bale |
How to use this reference
- Identify your target (pest, shade level or hail profile) with the tables above. For hail, the ROI estimator turns your crop value and hail frequency into an avoidable-loss figure.
- Size the order with the coverage calculator or the roll layout planner.
- Build a complete spec with the RFQ spec builder or go straight to the quote form. We reply within 2 business days.
Sources
- James A. Bethke and Timothy D. Paine, "Screen Hole Size and Barriers for Exclusion of Insect Pests of Glasshouse Crops", Journal of Entomological Science, 26(1), 169-177, 1991. DOI 10.18474/0749-8004-26.1.169.
- Emmalea Ernest and Gordon Johnson, "Protecting your garden vegetables from heat stress", University of Delaware Cooperative Extension.
- University of Tennessee Extension, "Insect and Mite Pest Management in Greenhouses", PB1594.
- University of Maine Cooperative Extension, "Spotted wing drosophila: pest biology and IPM recommendations for wild blueberries", for the sub-0.98 mm exclusion threshold.
- University of Vermont Extension Ag Engineering, "Exclusion netting for spotted wing drosophila", for aperture stated in millimetres rather than mesh count.
- Manufacturing partners' catalogue specifications (on file; shared per quote).