It's a jungle out there: your garden can be home to a number of pests, some obvious and others less so. Discover how to find and ferret them out
We've all done it: moved the kids' sand pit or a long undisturbed garden planter to reveal something unpalatable. Perhaps a seething mass of dark brown ants and their eggs, with a trail leading to the house or some other icky wriggling things. What else could be lurking in your garden? Find out how to banish your unwanted garden guests
Ants
Ants are probably the most common garden pest although they can also inhabit your home. The garden ant is aptly named and found all over the UK. They nest outdoors, typically under things on the sunny side of the garden, and they have a sweet tooth. Once discovered they can be eradicated with insecticides and baiting stations. Putting barriers to access points to the house will keep them from proliferating and laying a trail to food. For humane, chemical-free ant control, pest repellers provide the best form of prevention. There a number of eco-friendly products out there, and following the general pest control principle that the more methods you employ the more success you will have, suppliers offer 'kits' containing a variety of products. Find out more at www.pestcontrolshop.co.uk.
Slugs and snails
Many gardens are plagued by thriving slug and snail communities. Gardens provide shelter and a plentiful supply of food - much to the frustration of keen gardeners. So how do you make your garden a no-go zone for those pesky snails? Everyone knows about slug pellets but if you have a pet or are particular about chemicals in your garden then which pellets do you use or are there alternatives?Most pellet solutions contain metaldehyde, which unfortunately is known to be common in poisoning incidents, particularly with pets. Aluminium sulphate-based pellets are the least toxic so if pellets are your chosen way forward then seek out this type. As slugs and snails like damp and shady places with succulent foliage, a reasonable way to minimise your problem is to minimise such areas, particularly at ground level and near vulnerable plants. In addition they prefer acidic soil so liming your soil, which makes it more basic, will also work. Slugs can be deterred by a barrier of wood ash or pure coal soot as they don't like sulphur. A moat of eggshells around the places they like will keep them away, as it hurts their little feet. And at the end of the day, routinely handpicking snails or trapping them in an upturned flower pot is the most humane and eco friendly way of controlling them.
Moles
Imagine waking up in the morning to find your perfectly manicured lawn littered with perfect little mounds of earth. You have been the victim of the mole. They live in tunnels beneath your lawn only to go vertical in search of food. There are various methods of controlling moles and, interestingly, many claim to be passed down the generations. Windmills and bottles stuck in the lawn, moth balls and smelly cleaning products all claim to be effective. However mole trapping is the only sure fire method and there is an art to it! Check out this video that shows the process.
Rats
It is never good when you spot a rat, but when it's a real one in your garden it's particularly bad. Scary, dirty and disease-ridden are the words that come to mind. In the UK the brown rat is the most common, which in a way is lucky as the black rat, now not really seen here, was the one that carried the Plague. However Well's disease, a flu-like malady caught from rats' urine, can in rare cases be fatal.There are many ways to catch a rat also. The basic rat snap trap is cheap and effective, although some may find them cruel. More humane methods involve electronic rat killers, rat cages and bait boxes. Incidentally, rat poison today tends to contain Bitrex, a bitter-tasting chemical that is very effective at deterring children in particular from eating it.
Controlling rats is actually quite straightforward. As with most pests, they come to seek warm shelter and food. Overfeeding birds is a common means of attracting rats, so use a bird table with a rat-proof support if possible (or instead of feeding birds, put out a birdhouse or birdbath). Make sure dustbin lids fit tightly and compost heaps are isolated and well-contained. Ongoing prevention can be also be the use of pest repellers which use electromagnetic and ultrasonic sound waves to ward off the rats. You can install these like smoke detectors around the garden to create a no-go zone.
Wasps
Wasps can nest under the eaves, in lofts, and in bushes or trees, so a quick survey of your garden and outside of the house can generally reveal their location. Insecticide dusts, available at local shops, are generally more effective than liquid sprays. The dust should be applied to the nest entrance; wasps entering the treated area will carry the insecticide inside the nest. Treatment is best carried out at dusk when the wasps have returned to the nest and you are much less likely to be stung.
Pigeons
It is no surprise that pigeons have been banished from Trafalgar Square. Buildings and monuments are fouled and damaged when the birds are nesting or roosting on them. It is also true that pigeons can pass on disease. Ornithosis, which is a mild form of psittacosis or parrot fever, can affect humans. This disease and salmonella have been found in old pigeon nests and droppings, which in their own right can attract insects, such as beetles and mites.Pigeons are scavengers and therefore controlling their access to food is key - no food equals no pigeons. They are smart little birds and appear to invite all their friends along to a meal if they find one! If they remain, then trapping or poisoning them is possible. There are also many repellents and scaring devices available and we have all seen those little spiky things that stop them perching on your window ledge.
Foxes
Foxes, particularly in urban areas, are becoming more of a problem. Local authorities receive many complaints about foxes, which generally are more of a nuisance than the instigators of serious damage. They can be very noisy, particularly at mating time, and they are notorious scavengers, rummaging through dustbins and rubbish for food. There are increasing reports that foxes gain access to homes and remove and destroy footwear and children's toys. In the country, they often take livestock and can be a particular nuisance with people who keep chickens.Control is not recommended in urban areas. In fact it is illegal to lay poison baits for foxes. Cage trapping is really the only option available but the animal needs to be put down humanely by a vet. Shooting and snaring are highly emotive issues and are generally not felt to be socially or politically acceptable. Prevention is the best way to control foxes, and physical measures, such as secure fencing, are the most effective. Again keeping your rubbish secure and inaccessible will discourage foxes from prowling your garden.
Resources
There are many resources available to the gardener for controlling pests. Your local authority is always a good source of information and also very often provides pest control services. Sometimes they will charge a fee, but where the pest can be a threat to the community as a whole they generally undertake the control themselves.Where a problem can't be tackled alone then there are professionals. Rentokil has a good website for general information and deal with all sort of pests.
Finally, copies of a popular booklet, called 'An A-Z of Pests in Your Home', which was first published in 1979 by the British Pest Control Association and has now been updated, are available for £4.95 including postage and packaging from the BPCA, 1 Gleneagles House, Vernon Gate, Derby DE1 1UP. Tel: 0870 609 2687 Fax: 01332 295904. Email: enquiry@bpca.org.uk