[Ellendra]

I should probably mention, I've never actually heard of a fog harp being made from fishing line. I just can't find any reason why it wouldn't work.

If you do a search on the phrase "diy dew collector" you can see lots of examples, although the majority focus on meshes, not harps. I'm guessing the harps are a new enough development that no one knows the optimum measurements yet, although I'm pretty sure tall is more important than wide. If you decide you want to try zippers to help with the spacing, you can get 10-yard rolls of zipper for around $10 online. I just like how the little teeth keep everything even.

My method for dealing with UV damage is to keep it in the shade. I figure I have to block the wind somehow anyway, I might as well block the sun too. It will probably take some tinkering to find the right enclosure.

One more tip: keep in mind that the strands will change length in response to temperature. If they're nice and taut on a hot day, they might break on a cold day. Make sure you allow for that.

Congratulations on the chickens! I'm looking forward to the day when I can expand my flock.

[Paul R.]

DARK objects radiate heat better than light color objects, and we do want efficient radiational cooling (the driver of dew in the 1st place.) So, a dark color fishing line like “Cajun Red” or “Cajun Redcast” might work better than clear line.

Monofilament fishing line has a fair amount of “stretch” in it, so, I don’t think temperature changes would be a big problem for the line. However, mono line does expand and contract SOMEWHAT in reaction to both temperature and humidity, so, a sturdy frame may be in order — the cumulative pull of hundreds of filaments could be considerable.

Mono line also has better than average (for a plastic) resistance to UV light, but, yes, sunlight will eventually degrade it. Here again, “red” line should have some advantaqe. One thing though, about shade. Ever notice how areas of grass open to the sky accumulate dew in the evening much faster than an area under a tree? Or frost more easily? That’s radiational cooling at work.

[Paul R.]

I hasten to add: Collecting blown mist or fog is a somewhat different adventure than actually collecting dew. In the Midwest and MidSouth, away from water bodies, we might get blown mist once in a while, but, blown fog almost never.