[polly tunnel]

My Father in law last year, used 15mm netting to cover his veg patch and suffered with cabbage butterfly etc. This year he used 10mm netting and is worried that insects (good ones!) will be prevented access and thereby not enable pollination is this the case? Does anyone have any experience of this? Incidentally this netting covers his whole veg patch. Thanks

[mumofstig]

Unfortunately 10mm doesn't keep the cabbage white butterfly out........they can fold their wings and walk through! If they can get through I think that the bees could 
What veg is he growing that needs pollination?

[Livinhope]

We have only covered our brassicas and peas with fine black netting and debris net, this does keep out the butterflies and pigeons, which apart from slugs (dealt with separately) are the ones we are able to fully protect against.  I would have thought the only other thing needing major protection from birds is soft fruit.  

Someone, of course will tell me differently.

[madcat]

We net primarily against pigeon and rabbit, so use a larger net like your dad, and the bees and hoverflys etc all whizz thro.  So do the butterflies but we dont have a lot of brassicas so have chosen to make our peace with the cabbage whites.