By Felix Ochieng Akech 

Mary Wambua in Homabay is one of a growing number of farmers ending insects on their crops with netting in a cure-all move that stops nearly all insect bests, as well as birds, wind and sun-scorch, sharply increasing yields.

“I used to lose half my harvest,” said Mary, beside the fine white net now stretched over her quarter acre farm. “Every time, pests would attack just as the fruits started forming. I almost gave up. But this netting has changed everything.”

Two seasons ago, Mary attended a farmer field day organised by Eco warrior partners in her village of Dhiwa. There, she saw fellow growers using insect-proof netting, which is a simple mesh that keeps pests out while allowing sunlight and air to flow freely. She invested Sh 9,000 in a roll of netting to test it out on one strip of her plot.

“The plants under the netting were straight away greener and cleaner,” she said. “No holes in the leaves, no curled shoots, and the tomatoes ripened evenly.”

The netting works by physically blocking pests such as aphids, thrips, whiteflies, and fruit borers from reaching the crops, with Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) reporting that insect-proof nets can reduce pest populations by up to 90%, cutting pesticide use and boosting yields.

 “I used to spray every three days, now, only once in two weeks,” said Mary

It is the mesh size that determines what kind of pest a net can stop.

A 0.4 mm mesh blocks whiteflies and thrips.

A 1 mm mesh is effective for larger pests like beetles and moths.

For birds, a wider mesh (3–5 mm) works best, especially for cereals and fruit trees.

The netting can be expensive. But farmers like Mary and Kenneth Otieno, who is also from Homabay County are finding ways to put in the nets more cheaply.

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“I couldn’t afford a full greenhouse,” said Kenneth. “So I built a simple wooden frame and covered just the top and sides with the net. It cost me about Sh 5,500 for my sukuma wiki (kale) plot. The pests reduced immediately.”

Other farmers in the area are just using the netting draped over the crop rows, with experts suggesting they can get the gains using almost any structure so long as they put it on or up before pests are inside and seal all the gaps.

Many farmers are additionally using local materials to make frames, like bamboo or old greenhouse frames.

The nets also reduce sun scorch and wind damage, help maintain humidity, and provide some shade, leading to stronger, healthier plants, with farmers reporting better seedling survival rates and more uniform crops.

“I harvested 40 more crates this season than last,” said Mary. “It may look like a simple net, but to me, it’s like gold.”