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| Plants that
are resistant to pests are widely available. Plant
breeders have produced cultivated plants that are more
capable of dealing with pests than their relatives. In
many cases the plant continues to resist attacks however
factors such as the weather or growing conditions can
weaken the plants defences. |
|
| Keeping on
top of your garden chores is another effective way of
keeping good pest control. Being vigilant and catching
pest attacks early gives you more time for damage
limitation. Regular removal of infested plants will
control many infestations. Any debris should be burned
or discarded immediately and not composted. |
| By rotating
vegetable crops regularly you can prevent pests that are
soil-borne. |
|
| Encourage
animals into your garden as many help get rid of pests.
Hedgehogs and frogs feed on many pests that can cause
damage. Birds often eat pests so introducing bird boxes
and feeding stations encourages them to stay in your
garden. Centipedes also feed on pests. Spiders webs
catch many insects. Ladybird adults and larvae feed on
aphids. Ants and wasps also help keep down pest attacks. |
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| Garden
Friendly Creatures |
Ladybirds and their larvae
will eat aphids such as greenfly and blackfly and also
mites, scale insects and some small caterpillars. Encourage
them by having a patch of nettles or honeysuckle on which
they will find plentiful amounts of aphids to feast on and
having plant debris in which they can hibernate. |
|
Hoverflies, which are
sometimes mistaken for wasps due to their colouring, have
larvae that will eat up to 50 greenfly a day. They also eat
spider mites and small caterpillars. Mature hoverflies eat
nectar and pollen. Encourage them by growing plants that are
yellow or gold in colour. |
|
Dragonflies will eat
mosquitoes thus keeping the number down. |
|
Spiders catch flying pests in
their webs. Provide areas for them to spin their webs
safely. |
|
Lacewings, beetles,
centipedes, predatory mites, hedgehogs,
frogs, toads,
newts, glow
worms and birds all play an important role in keeping your
garden pest free too. |
|
|
| Biological
Control |
| Biological
control is using natural predators to keep down the
number of pest attacks on your plants. Usually used
mainly in greenhouses where pests have developed some
level of immunity to chemicals. In gardens where
pesticides are used widely they cannot only kill the
pests but also the predators you have introduced. By
identifying what pest you have on your plants you can
then introduce the best predator for the job. |
| Many pests
have now developed such a high immunity to chemical
control that biological control is often the only
answer. |
|
| Chemical
Control |
|
| Using
chemical aids sparingly can also be extremely effective
towards fighting pests. By combining chemical and
organic control your garden should be relatively pest
free. Pesticides work by killing pests when they are
either sprayed directly or walk over a treated area.
However as many pests are becoming immune it is not
always effective. |
|
| Checking your
pesticide label is a must as some plants have an adverse
reaction to them. The majority of products should have a
list of plants that are not to be treated. Always
perform a test on a small area before spraying the
entire plant. |
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