[tosca100]

I remember a thread not long ago about the lack of insects around this year. Well, they're back with a vengeance, good and bad. I have seen at least two butterflies I have not seen in the garden before, a common blue and a really tiny one which looks like a miniature tortoiseshell. But most prolific amongst the butterflies are the cabbage whites, large and small. And they are making up for lost time. I still have my psb in pots, partly because of lack of space on my little plot, and partly because it's easier to scrape eggs off. Today I scraped thirteen batches of eggs from twelve small plants, four from this one leaf!


But we also have lots of hoverflies and bees, and it looks like a bumper crop of beans this year.....work colleagues will be pleased!!!!!

[sunshineband]

There certainly are a lot more butterflies of all sorts around this year! Counted nine species at the plot on Sunday, some of them in quite some numbers 

Really great to see 

We have planted some nasturtiums this year as we all cover our brassicas so tightly there is no food for the good old whites otherwise 

[shokkyy]

Strangely, I've noticed a sudden plague of cabbage whites in the last couple of weeks, whereas before that they were nowhere to be seen.

I tried some sacrificial companion planting this year, put climbing nasturtium all the way round on the fencing that surrounds my big veggie bed where my brassicas live. The entire leaf miner population of the UK seems to have made them their home. I have to say that every time I look the whites are all over the nasturtium and not going anywhere near the veggies. I haven't found any eggs on the veggies either, so fingers crossed.

[prakash_mib]

hadnt had any drink of any sort. but this happened in front of my eyes. a cabbage white was flying inside my 7mm netting and from the top I tried to chase it to corner thinking that I would get her there. and she sat on net wriggled through the mesh and flew away  . checked, double checked, triple checked the spot from where she flew out and it was a proper mesh! no damages no big holes.
they are getting intelligent me thinks.
BTW neighbour with shed loads of money has enviromeshed their brassicas!!!1

[sunshineband]

You do need to make sure the mesh is small enough prakash, as thos butterflies an pleat them selves up ans wriggle through with no trouble other wise 

[mumofstig]

but up til now we've always said that the mesh had to be 7mm or smaller (that size is sold as brassica netting !).........so that was  a very small &/or very determined Small White Butterfly.

Can you buy a smaller mesh than 7mm............or does it have to be debris netting or enviromesh, to be smaller

[sunshineband]

I bought some that was 5mm from somewhere on line--- I'll look it out for you and post the link.

[sunshineband]

http://www.broadoaknursery.co.uk/


Here it is (supplier of 5mm mesh)

Didn't take as long to find as I thought

[mumofstig]

  couldn't see a 5mm mesh one there sunny?

[sunshineband]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fine-Garden-Netting-metre-2m-3m-width-/110715788064?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&var=&hash=item5f77d7705c

Must have sold out, sorry  

Here is a 3mm one I found. Hope that helps 

[mumofstig]

Thanks for looking, Sunny, when you look at all the pics that's debris netting
That's a great way for them to sell it though 

I'll have a nose about early next year, may end up with enough to cover the whole plot....with all the pests there are now

 

[sunshineband]

Sorry that wasn't any use 

As you say, we shal each have our whole plots covered with debris netting and then need our own bee hives too 

[mumofstig]

actually the link was cool.......it gave me the idea of using my old polytunnel frame, repaired in a few places, and covered in debris net, as a walk in cage. It would cover most of my garden beds. It would stop the sparrers getting at my peas   and I could grow my summer cabbages in there as well.
Result  

[sunshineband]

Funny you should say that, but one of our near neighbours has done this using an old greenhouse frame and has his brussels in it.

He used bright blue debris netting and it looked awful 

Now changed for green 

[mumofstig]

I think the black would look better in the garden though , it looks quite unobtrusive in the pics on the link