Wildlife in the garden can be wonderful and welcome, and there can be aspects of garden planning and maintenance that encourage the right kind of wildlife in your garden. One of our favourite garden wildlife encouragers are wildflower meadows; not least because they make for beautiful soft landscaping, but they which contain a wide range of colours and scents to attract important pollinators. Birds are also a fantastic form of ‘pest control’ They feed on the grubs and insects we do not want, so think about adding a bird feeder or bird bath to your garden and enjoy the wonder of nature!
On the flip side, there are pests and insects that we want to discourage. It can be a horrible feeling looking out into your garden and seeing your favourite shrubs decimated, and leaves full of cut outs, or dead. Or your hard work on the veggie patch taken out by a hungry slug.
We have put together a guide to some of the popular biological solutions on the market, that are most importantly safe for your other garden visitors such as pets, children and encouraged wildlife.
If you are unsure of what pest you have, you can take a photo and send it to maintenance@hplandscapes.com or click on this helpful link from The RHS https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/common-pest-identification-guide
Nematodes
Pest it deals with: Ants, fruit flies, leather jackets, chafer grubs, slugs, vine weevils
How to use: Mix into a paste, dilute in water, then water over problem area
Nematodes are microscopic parasites that essentially latch on to a host and then kill them from the inside out so there is nothing left behind. This is a much more effective approach than a chemical spray which can get caught in the wind and can cause collateral damage on other plants.
If you don’t use them straight away, you need to store them in the fridge. When they’re in season our office fridge has a few boxes handy so you need to double check before you pull out a snack!
There are two types of Nematodes that we are using in our London gardens;
Nemaslug - Biological
Time of year: Autumn/Spring
Pests it deals with: slugs
Time frame of results: needs reapplying every 6 weeks
Toxicity: harmless to wildlife, pets, birds and children
A solution for slugs particularly on veggie patches. It is completely safe you just need to wash the fruit and vegetables as you usually do before enjoying. This is also the only slug solution that works in wet weather which is when slugs thrive and do their worst.
Vine Weevil Killer - Biological
Time of year: September or April. This is very important to stick to otherwise the nematodes can be killed before they can get to work.
Pests it deals with: Clue is in the name! Vine Weevil larvae. These are white legless small grubs.
Time frame of results: You’ll need to make applications over two to three years to completely eradicate the problem. A single application will make a small difference, depending on the level of infestation, but realistically it can take up to 3 years (or longer) to completely remove the vine weevils. Regular applications will be needed if the problem has reached the soil, If the problem is in the pots it can be much easier to deal with.
Toxicity: Harmless to children, pets, birds and wildlife. Also suitable for edible crops.
Vine Weevil’s need to be dealt with at their larvae stage and on damp soil. This solution needs to be put down in a cool evening on well watered soil where the larvae is present. It’s difficult to completely eradicate as they are such a prevalent pest in UK gardens, but one treatment a year is more than adequate to keep the problem at bay.
One of the best ways to prevent pests is to feed your plants, because a health plant is less prone to infestations.
Another ‘pest’ or source of trouble in our London gardens are foxes;
Foxes will always be a nuisance in London and nothing will completely stop these garden visitors, but there are methods to reduce and discourage the damage they can cause. Here are some of our tried and tested solutions.
Lighting - motion sensor lighting can scare away foxes.
Silent Roar - Whilst it’s marketed as a cat-repellent to stop them using your beds, it is an effective fox repellent.
Gravel boards- stop your garden being a through way by sealing gaps at the bottom of fences where foxes can dig to get through.
Gaps - you need to close up gaps under sheds, decking to prevent nesting
Regular Garden Maintenance – keeping your garden tidy, open and free of rubbish makes it less attractive for foxes, as there are no places to hide and nest.
