Dealing with PESTS

THE BEST PREVENTION AND CURES FOR ANNOYING PESTS

New gardeners are often scared by the thought of having to deal with common garden pests as there are so many.

Knowing exactly what the pest is can be tricky, so I find the best way to identify them is to work out what damage they are doing and treat accordingly. You can split your common garden pests into three distinct categories: Sap suckers, Chewers and Borers.

SAP SUCKERS Sap suckers are small insects that feed off the sap of the plant. Aphids, mealybugs, azalea lace and scale bugs are the most common pests you’ll find in your garden. They inject their mouth parts into the plant and suck the sap out, distorting the growth.

WHAT YOU CAN DO These pests can be treated with white oil, eco oil or beat-a-bug sprays, all of which block the breathing holes of the insect, causing it to drop off the plant. You need to ensure you follow the instructions on the spray bottle and don’t overuse.