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How to deal with pests
peonydesiree
Posts: 9
in Talkback
Spring is here and this means bugs too. Maybe you were spared by their attacks, for now, but they will surely try to invade your garden. I've already had problems with slugs and had to chase the slimy critters out of my property. I used a homemade slug spray, just like the one shown in this post here.
Can you share how you fight with pests in your gardens? I'm curious about your ways. Do you use DIY insecticides or do you rely on commercial ones? Do you have a favourite? Waiting for your answers. 
0
Posts
Mostly I rely on the insect eating birds to clear them, or other insects.
Apart from Lily beetle.
They get provado ultimate bug killer.
Usually our only serious pest here is slugs. We had three mild wet wintrs so it's slug central. This year I had to swallow my pride and spread some organic slug pellets (those that will not poison pets, hedgehogs and birds). But I am looking forward to having ducks (next spring) to assist me in the slug war. Slugs will hopefully turn the pests into delicious eggs!
Our other (mild) problem are caterpillars on brassica plants, and I just despatch them by hand as soon as they show up, and a few black aphids, which I spray (if I remember) with soapy water.
Slugs and snails get thrown in the road to be squished and the ones I don't catch get organic pellets from Feb 14th onwards to stop them feeding and breeding once they hatch or emerge form hibernation.
Red lily beetles get squished underfoot when I find them. Everything else is left to the birds to deal with or predators such as ladybirds and hoverflies. I feed th ebirds all year so they treat my garden as home. We have sparrows and tits nesting in our eaves and hedges. Great for hoovering up aphids and caterpillars.
Vine Weevils get squished and Provado for their grubs. Caterpillars go over to next door and Slugs get caught when I get them and squish them. Everything else is pretty much let it be philosophy.
So many replies and so many different ways! I want to attract more wildlife to my garden, so I grow friendly plants and provide fresh water.
About the caterpillars - I do the same - remove them by hand and just throw them outside my garden, not at my neighbors because we get on
Maybe next time I should try one of the methods you told be and see if it works for me.
I'm with pansyface. I leave nature to sort it out generally.
Unless I have a major slug/ snail attack . With hundreds of hostas I still reckon to only use pellets about twice a season