Low Cost DIY Cages
Make your own all-weather flowerpot cages which combine healthy natural conditions for insects with good viewing, ease of use and quick assembly. These use a simple hoop frame covered with a tube of netting.
Start with a flowerpot filled with soil. This may have your larval food plant already established. Make two hoops. These need to be fairly stiff, and are best made from wire such as recycled coathangers, garden fence, or industrial packaging. Plant the hoops into the soil to the base of the pot. Bind the hoops together at the top.
The example was a 7 inch diam pot (approx 3 litres) and the hoops were 3mm thick old garden wire, making the cage 22 inches tall.
Measure the circumference of the circle at the widest part of the cage. Add approx.10% to this measurement to obtain the size of the net tube cover, to allow for plant growth and enable the net tube to slip easily over the hoops.
The example was 27 inches (68 cm) circumference, so the net tube required was approx 30 inches (75cm) circumference.

Purchase the netting, from myself or elsewhere. Sew into a tube yourself, or I can supply 1.35 metre long tubes. For my netting and tubes see Netting and Sleeves for more details.

The example 75cm circumference tube cost £2.50 x 75/100 = £1.88 for the netting. The tube seam join cost £2, making a total of £3.88 for the tube of 135 cm length. This length was enough for 2 cages, making the cost £1.94 per cage.
Measure the cage height from the pot rim to the top of the hoops. Allow an extra height of the tube cover; approx 3 inches (8cm) for the rim, plus a length about 1/4 x tube circumference for the gathered top. Cut the tube to this length. The cut will not fray with the netting I supply.
The example cage was 16 inches (41cm) rim to top and , so the tube was cut to 41 + 8 + 18 = 67cm long.
Slip the tube over the frame and secure round the rim with string or cord passed three times around, and tie with a bow. Gather the top and secure with a short length of cord, and tie with a bow.
To access the cage for examination, untie the top cord, and peel the tube down over the hoops. It is now easy to view the inside of the cage from all angles.

The cage may be used with bare soil on which are placed jars of water containing cut sprays of plant.

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