In Kenya’s smallholder and commercial farms, pests cause huge crop losses. Insect netting also called anti-insect nets offers an effective and eco‑friendly way to protect your crops. This guide explains what netting is, why it works in Kenya, how to install and manage it correctly, and how it fits into a full pest management plan.
Where to Buy Insect Netting in Kenya
Aqua Hub Kenya Offers UV treated nets, mesh sizes 0.4 – 0.9 mm, rolls which are 2.5 × 50 m to 5.5 × 30 m and their cost is KES 13,000 – 17,500 per roll.
What Is Insect Netting?
Insect netting is a fine mesh fabric made from UV‑treated high‑density polyethylene (HDPE). It comes in mesh sizes around 0.4 mm or 0.9 mm, with the 0.4 mm mesh effective against tiny insects like whiteflies and aphids, and 0.9 mm mesh suitable for slightly larger pests and birds. The nets are often white reflecting light to deter insects and are breathable, so air and light still reach the crops.
How Insect Netting Works in Kenya
Reduces Chemical Pesticide Use
Insect nets block pests physically, preventing them from harming plants in the first place. This cuts down the need for chemical sprays, protecting soil, water, nearby wildlife, and human health.
Increases Yield and Quality
Farmers in Kenya report higher yields sometimes 20%–50% more and better-quality produce when netting is used. Tomatoes grown inside net houses mature faster and are healthier than those in open fields.
Protects Against Birds, Locusts, and Other Pests
Besides insects, nets also block birds, snails, caterpillars, and even locusts. Some fabrics with specific mesh sizes are recommended for desert locust protection.
Cost-Effective and Durable
Compared to greenhouses, insect nets are cheaper to purchase and install, often lasting 5 -10 years if well maintained.
Which Crops Should Be Grown with Insect Netting in Kenya?
- Insect netting suits many crops grown in Kenya, especially:
- Vegetables: tomato, pepper, kale, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, French beans, onions.
- Seedlings in nurseries: Shields young plants from cutworms, thrips, fungus gnats.
- Fruit trees and vines: Mango, papaya, grapes, citrus, strawberries against fruit flies and moths.
- Crops vulnerable to locusts or grasshoppers: especially smallholders in affected zones.
Choosing the Right Insect Netting Material
Mesh Size
0.4 mm (fine mesh) for very small pests: whiteflies, thrips, aphids (ideal for tomatoes, peppers, seedlings).
0.9 mm (coarser mesh) for larger pests and birds (herbs, brassicas, tree crops).
Color
White nets reflect light and repel insects.
Material
Made of UV‑treated HDPE, nets resist sun damage and last multiple seasons.
Size and dimensions
Available in rolls: 2.5 × 50 m, 3 × 50 m, 5.5 × 30 m, even 5 × 50 m.
Choose width based on your farm layout and structure needs.
Cost of Insect Netting in Kenya
Insect netting Price ranges between KES 13,000 – 17,500 per roll depending on mesh and length. Buy Quality insect nets from Aqua Hub LTD.
Shade Netting Installation in Kenya
Build a Frame or Structure
Use wooden or metal poles to make a simple tunnel or net‑house. Space frames about 1.5 – 2.5m apart, with netting draped over and secured at the edges.
Install Nets Before Pest Entry
Install netting before planting or germination, especially for crops vulnerable to cutworms or early pests. This ensures pests are excluded from the start.
Ensure a Secure Seal
Nets must reach the ground and be sealed with soil, sandbags, wood or rocks so no insects slip in through gaps. Even tiny gaps defeat the barrier.
Allow Ventilation and Light
Well, designed nets allow about 80–90% of light transmission and provide airflow. This keeps humidity and temperature manageable. Still, monitor for fungal risks because fine nets can trap moisture.
Maintain the Structure
Check weekly for holes or tears and seal them promptly. Clean dust or plant debris off nets, and store properly between seasons to extend life.
Integrating Netting into Pest Management Strategies
Insect netting should be part of a broader Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach—combining physical barriers, monitoring, cultural controls, and biological methods.
Monitor for pests
Inspect plants regularly inside and outside the netting. If pest populations rise over safe thresholds, apply targeted control.
Combine with natural methods
Encourage beneficial insects like ladybugs and hoverflies to manage aphids and thrips naturally.
Crop Rotation
Cultivation of different crops on a new season reduces pests and diseases on the soil.
Use minimal biopesticides if needed
If pests appear inside nets, use least-toxic sprays (e.g. neem-based sprays or soaps) carefully and sparingly.
Benefits of Insect Netting in Kenya
Increased Profit
Nets help reduce yield loss, lower pesticide cost, and improve produce quality—leading to higher local or export earnings. Some farmers in Machakos report tomato yields six times greater inside net houses vs open field.
Environmental and Health Gains
Fewer pesticides mean cleaner soil and food, less exposure to toxic chemicals, and better ecosystem health.
Extended Growing Seasons
By regulating temperature and protecting from hail or excessive sun, nets allow earlier planting or off‑season crop production.
Reusable and Flexible
Portable net structures can be rebuilt, moved, or re‑used in new fields—flexibility that greenhouses don’t offer.
Steps of Crop Protection with Insect Netting
- Plan crop & net type – Choose crops (e.g. tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, leafy veg.) and mesh size (0.4 mm for tiny pests, 0.9 mm for larger).
- Construct the Support Structure – Construct the wooden or metallic Shade net Structure
- Install the shade Netting – Drape the net over the structure and attach it before crop propagation
- Monitor and Maintain – Inspect weekly, patch holes, manage humidity, remove pests if needed.
- Harvest and reuse – after the season, remove the net and reuse it the next planting season.
Challenges of Insect Netting and How to Fix Them
Poor air circulation under fine mesh can lead to fungal diseases, especially in hot, humid zones. Keep plants spaced well and ventilate early in the morning.
Unsealed edges or tears allow pests access always seal well and repair promptly.
Blocking pollinators: Grow crops that are pollinated by wind or water (e.g. tomatoes).
