To a certain extent, we should learn to live with a certain level of pest damage to our plants and crops, but no-one wants to find that a whole row of young plants has disappeared overnight due to slugs.
For garden pest control, it's a good idea to encourage natural predators such as beneficial insects, hedgehogs, frogs and toads but sometimes gardeners need a little extra help. Not all pest control methods are chemical: copper tape around the tops of containers works as an effective slug barrier and Micromesh will fend off carrot flies.
What’s Eating My Plants?
Pests cause damage in different ways. A deer will simply eat whole plants, squirrels will strip bark, moles will tunnel through roots, and aphids and other insects will suck sap, mine leaves and generally destroy garden plants.
Attractive but destructive pests such as deer and rabbits can be put off by spraying their favourite plants with Grazers. It won't hurt them but the taste will not be to their liking.
What Types of Pest Control Are There?
In general, there are 3 groupings of garden pest control:
Organic Controls
These include companion planting, hand-picking pests from plants, crop rotation and good garden hygiene such as removing debris under which pests will hide and multiply.
Chemical Controls
These have been greatly reduced and need to be used with care having first carefully read the instructions.
Biological Controls
This popular and effective form of garden pest control involves the deliberate introduction of the pest's natural predator. It works best in a controlled environment, such as a greenhouse. The Nemasys range of biological products will help guard against chafer grub, vine weevil and other nasties and our Anti-Mole Bulbs and Mole Repellent Balls will keep the furry terrors at bay.
Adverse weather and weeds cause more of a problem to gardens than pests so, before getting too stressed about the aphids in your greenhouse, perhaps you should reach for your weed wand and enjoy watching the rabbits playing on the lawn.
