Dealing with garden pests

Your garden is to be enjoyed, so when pests come and nibble at your plants or litter on your lawn, something needs to be done about it!

Here are a few suggestions to help you keep garden pests at bay and let your outdoor space bloom free from disruption.

Slugs

Slugs can be kept away from your plants by putting down a barrier of wood ash or pure coal soot. The slugs will stay away from the sulphur in these barriers, and will not cross the line you put down in your garden.

Alternatively, egg shells make a good hurdle for these garden pests - slugs stay away from the sharp edges.

If you find your slugs bolder than most, and braving the obstacles you put down, try removing anything that could become a shelter for the pests in your garden. Without a cosy home under boards, rocks and composting grass, they will leave your garden.

Insects

Many insects are plant-specific, meaning they only feed on (and destroy) certain plants. To protect your plants from these garden pests, it is a good idea to rotate your crop every year. It takes a few seasons for these insects to establish themselves in a new environment so by planting in different places around your garden you will leave pests behind and protect your new crop.

Another way of cutting down the number of insects in your garden is to attract more birds. Birds eat insects, and bird feeders are a great way to encourage birds into your garden. However, you may find that the birds themselves become the new pests.

Birds

If you want to stop birds from eating the apples and strawberries you’ve been nurturing, try hanging CDs or shiny ribbon from the nearby branches. The reflection from the shiny surfaces scare the birds - alternate the two tactics to keep them on their toes.

Cats

If cats are causing you concern in the garden, simply put out some orange rind or black pepper. Cats do not like citrus or black pepper so should stay away from your garden.

Keep any bins in the garden covered, so local cats cannot get to any food remains.

Rabbits

To stop rabbits from nibbling your lettuces, plant some green onions with them. Rabbits do not like green onion so this should be enough to keep them away.

Putting chicken wire around plants will also help keep rabbits and squirrels away, and tree guards will protect young trees in your garden from being gnawed by these pests.

Dogs can scare away rabbits and cats, but you may need to keep your guard dog outside at night - when these particular garden pests are more active.

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