Avoiding toxic garden pest killers and finding natural ways to control the problem is not only better for the environment but is keeping gardens safe for members and their children.
‘Chemicals may be an effective way of getting rid of garden pests, but some pesticides and weed-killers can damage the soil as well as pose a risk to young children and pets,’ says Tanya Jacques, one of our garden and nature experts.
Slug pellets, weed-killers and other pesticides commonly carry labels that say ‘keep off skin’, ‘keep away from children’, ‘do not empty into drains’, ‘keep away from food’, and ‘dangerous for the environment’.
Their toxicity to the environment is demonstrated by clear instructions about the concentrations that they should be used in. However, many people use them widely and in concentrated amounts in their gardens. If they’re not properly disposed of, the chemicals can contaminate groundwater, rivers, seas and lakes, where they may prove as toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates as they are to children and pets.
Pest-eating creatures
Fortunately, there are a number of ways of controlling garden pests naturally, without resorting to the hard stuff.
Snails and slugs may seem a nuisance, but they’re an essential part of the eco-system. Frogs, toads, birds and hedgehogs rely on them for food. Using chemical pesticides deprives other creatures of a meal, and could even harm those that accidentally swallow a slug pellet. The best way to take care of snails, slugs, and other pests is to encourage their natural predators to set up home in your garden.
Setting up a bird box in the garden will encourage natural pest control. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is urging people to build bird boxes for the threatened blue tit. It is thought that between hatching and fledging, the average blue tit family will eat about 10,000 invertebrates, so encouraging blue tits to nest in the garden provides an eco-friendly form of pest control.
Placing some logs or wood in a quiet corner will encourage hedgehogs to settle and leave this small area to grow wild. Hedgehogs eat all manner of insects, and are particularly fond of slugs. Bat boxes can encourage these insect-eating mammals to nest in your garden.
Creating a pond will attract frogs, toads, newts and dragonflies. Certain plants will attract insects that prey on the pests. Nettles attract ladybirds, poppies attract hoverflies and shrubs will attract spiders, all of which will feast on aphids such as greenflies and black flies.
Companion planting
Some plants naturally repel certain insects, so planting them alongside vulnerable crops is a good way to deter pests. The National Vegetable Society, a charity which supports vegetable growers in the UK, recommends the following combinations:
Roses with garlic (garlic deters greenfly); tomatoes with French marigolds (the marigolds repel greenfly and black fly); broccoli with nasturtiums (the strong smell of nasturtiums repels aphids); carrots with leeks (leeks repel carrot fly and carrots repel onion fly and leek moth); lettuces with chervil (chervil keeps aphids off lettuces); coriander (a strong aphid repellent that can be used throughout the garden); brassicas or carrots with sage (the smell of sage confuses a variety of pests); brassicas with celery (celery deters white caterpillars).
Zaps and traps
‘Physical prevention is a good method of pest control. Wrapping self-adhesive copper tape around the bases of pots deters slugs and snails. When a slug crawls onto the tape, its slime will react with the copper and create an electric current. The slug will receive a low-voltage shock and turn back the way it came,’ says Tanya.
Many garden centres will sell traps designed to catch specific bugs: some are sticky strips to which the bugs stick, others work by luring the insects and then zapping or drowning them. We can also help you source all of the supplies you need to keep your garden pest-free – just get in touch to discuss with one of our experts.
A good homemade way to trap slugs is to cut the top off a plastic bottle, fill it with beer and bury it in the ground. Slugs love beer and will be drawn to the bottle, but once they fall in they’ll be unable to get out.
Get in touch with us for more advice on how to get rid of greenfly, slugs and the other pests without using chemicals.
