WE may well be seeing lower slug and snail numbers this summer thanks to colder weather in winter and the recent dry spells.
But mother nature never makes it easy for us. Instead – of course – there’s a new pest in town.
levels have rocketed this year – and the RHS reckons it’s top of the list of queries to their hotline.
There’s over 500 different species found in the UK – and can be red, yellow, black, green, brown or pink.
They feed by sucking sap from – and can cause severe damage – including distorted growth, sooty mould and plant viruses – and sometimes plant death.
Chelsea award winning gardener Adam Woolcott – and Webb ambassador – gave Sun some top tips on how to tackle the most common early summer pests.
APHIDS
Physically remove the from the stems and leaves.
Use natural insecticidal soaps.
Blast off with water jets.
Encourage predators such as ladybirds, lacewings, and hoverflies
VINE WEEVIL
Both the adult beetles and their larvae cause damage.
Adults — all female — chew distinctive ‘U-shaped’ notches in leaves, particularly on evergreen shrubs like rhododendrons, escallonias, and viburnums.
Underground: larvae feed on plant roots and can kill container plants like Heucheras.
Remove adults at night when they’re most active
Break the life cycle with biological controls such as nematodes (apply in spring and autumn when grubs are active) Chemical treatments are a last resort, but offer longer-term control
LILY BEETLE
The bright red beetles and their larvae are both covered in their excrement. They can strip a plant in days, affecting flowering and bulb health.
Remove beetles by hand where practical
Encourage wildlife into the garden. Birds and ground beetles will eat the larvae
Grow a resistant variety.
Tolerate some damage if you can — total eradication isn’t always necessary.
CATERPILLARS
Especially troublesome in veg patches. Cabbage white butterfly love brassicas, while box tree caterpillars are spreading rapidly across the UK, stripping foliage as they go.
Remove the by hand if you can and destroy any badly affected plants (if practical) to stop the infestation from spreading.
Use biological sprays like nematodes.
In some cases, hot water and a mild detergent can help. Ecover is on sale at Dunelm for £2.45.
As a last resort, chemical controls can be effective
