If it’s grasshoppers you can kill a couple of them near the plants- they emit a scent when they die to keep others away

Moths could be getting in through the mesh, they are small. I wonder if grasshoppers are having a go at some of my plants. Slugs and snails are also common culprits

I think the pea straw might stop any slugs. I hope you’re able to find the answer.

Gosh, me tooo!!! even the mint, and herbs whatever it is don’t normally touch! Cannot wait to read answers x

Depending how fine the netting is insects will still get through it. I have had moths come out of the soil as I pulled the soil to the surface too. Slugs can get through in the tiniest spaces, so can caterpillars and some are hard to see. Gardening experts recommend you check your plants at night with a torch. Check the undersides of the leaves as that is normally where the culprits attack. Animals do dislike pepper. It makes them sneeze. You probably need to re-apply it after watering. Ants tend to steal some types of seeds you plant too. Dad couldn’t work out why a lot of the carrots weren’t growing. One day he was doing something in the next patch and discovered there was a lot of ants there that appeared to be taking something. He decided to get down close and investigate. They were stealing the carrot seeds and another type of very small seed. I can’t remember what he used to stop them. At one stage he had bird wire around them as we had a pup which was pulling her own carrots, laying on her belly with the tops between her paws and eating the carrots. When she had been growled at a few times she found a way of getting them from under the edge of the wire. She knew we could see from my bedroom window so sometimes she would look that way, then grab the carrot and take it down behind the garage and eat it. The strange part was we could never find where she had taken them from when we looked afterwards. The soil was soft so obviously it just fell into the hole. We never found paw marks there either.

I love this question, I’m just panting my veggie patch after a break of a few years, quite a few years. I remember issues with bugs eating my veggies too. And was wondering what to about it, what it was. I love the pepper idea, so simple, everyone has it in the cupboards. And no chemicals! I’m pepper sprinkling tomorrow

The black pepper is a good one to use!

I tried growing bok choy and kale, but gave up after finding green caterpillars eating more of the veggies than we did. Like the black pepper idea and will try that next time.

I have also heard of pepper to keep animals away too

My sister swears by using black pepper sprinkled in her vegie patch, to keep bugs and other pests away. I haven’t tried it, but she said it works a treat.

if it is slugs, try some rock salt or something similar to deter them