Wacky ways to stop pests!

[shona_b]

A colleague at work drinks copious amount of fizzy water so I have a collection of small green plastic bottles. They get upended unto bamboo canes and when the wind blows they rattle around. They are also good at protecting me when leaning over beds and for holding up netting suspended over the said canes. My OH was a little more inventive and cut "flaps" into used slug pellet bottles and folded back - these make a great whirly-gig and really rattle when the wind blows - he also staples ribbon on so they prettily flutter. Whether they actually stop the birds or not is unclear! I have also tried used coffee grounds to deter slugs from round courgette plants - always wondered if maybe it just gave them the munchies and a bit more energy!

[super trowel]

On my last plot, we used to have a big problem with rabbits.
So I found some tiger poo at the local garden center.
Its only a small bag, but I scattered it everywhere.
Then six little piles down the outside of my plot.
Hay presto! No more bunny's on my plot.
After I had done this the bunny's would rather eat everyone else's veg instead of mine

[JamesM]

The only crops i ever have had trouble with are strawberries and toms. I don't grow strawberries any more, but to guard against that i always has copious amounts of hay down and di slug/snail runs every evening. I've been told beer traps work well but i would regard that as a waste i'm afraid!

Toms i grow purely for posterity as i like the smell and look but not the fruit! I give them away/compost them so losing a few to wasps etc is never a prob.

I also do my best to encourage birds into the garden but they never go after anything i grow.

[roitelet]

I have sucessfully detered flea beetle by soaking some soft cord, ie piping cord, in old style ***** fluid or anything else stinky and suspending a few inches above the drills when sowing and hey presto no damage.

Having been plagued with wasp and hornet damage on my strawberries I made a false wasp nest from a baloon and paper mache and suspended above the strawberry bed. It kept them off and I only caught flies in the wasp traps and the strawberries were undamaged.

1 pint plastic milk bottles placed on their side with the opening at soil level make very good slug traps and the bait , beer or milk, isn't diluted by the rain. Just remember to empty them frequently or they get disgusting!!!

[NewGirlOnThePlot]

Hi Nikki,

I found that creating a small pond on your patch encourages frogs which solve the slug problem!

[binley100]

C'mon guys has no-one thought to mention the mirror trick to get rid of carrot fly ........for those who don't know.....place bits of mirror along your rows of carrots and the fly flies along and when it sees itself in the mirror thinks there's another fly there and either clears off or knocks itself out attacking it .......

[veggiechicken]

..... or touches up its makeup!

[binley100]

Well if it's that flighty it'll forget what it's there for ......

[abclady999]

I love shooting greenfly of my veg with big sprays of soapy water, while thinking "Die! Die! You little bugs!" (you can see I don't like them!)
Trying to shoot white fly is a little more challenging because they move, but that makes it feel all the more satifing to get my own back on the sap sucking beast ;-D

[Snadger]

A bit like the 'Wack a mole' at the hoppings you mean?..........................

[Snadger]

A very tiny amount of lead placed in a rats ear does wonders.................

[Feral007]

My father made me some traps to catch flyiing things - it's one drink bottle which you put a little something sweet into the bottom of then put the lid back on. Cut two other bottles in half - take the lids off and stick the pouring part thru a hole in the side of the first bottle; so one on each side. The flying critters fly into the bottle by the side openings and can rarely find their way out. Like other ones, you'd need to change fairly often.

[Lotsaveg]

You need to know what's a pest and what's not though!!

Here's a good list with pictures Good Bugs & Bad Bugs - dragonfli

[GardenFaery]

"each ladybird will eat about 5000 aphids and will soon produce ladybird larvae which in turn also eat aphids"

Ladybirds rule in my garden and you can even buy them online now LOL