Garden Pest Control Tips and Advice

We all know there are lots of products on the market that say they will deal with garden and greenhouse pest problems, but do we all really want to be, A) spending a fortune on purchasing a range of these varying products? B) Perhaps damaging the environment with multiple chemicals and C) Eat our crops that may still contain chemical residue after applying?

At the Keder Grenhouse yard, we strive to be as organic as possible with our pest control, and we thought that you may want to hear some of our tried and tested methods. Any Keder customers who have met the team will know that we are animal lovers, so we don’t mind the odd creepy-crawly or green garden friend, especially if it is of benefit to the goodies in the greenhouses.

Ladybirds / Lacewings

The lave of ladybirds and Lacewings are hungry munchers of aphids, so are one of the most wanted bugs in your garden or greenhouse. The adults do eat pests also, but mainly feed on pollen or nectar, so if you have an adult Ladybird or Lacewing bug making a nest in greenhouse, let them stay… you want the offspring to help your crops thrive.

How to encourage them

A good supply of plants that are fantastic providers of nectar and pollen planted around your greenhouse ill not only look beautiful, but it will also be like a buffet for these creatures! You could try Daisies, Coreopsis, Echinacea, Rubeckia, and Achillea. You could also experiment with Dill, Fennel, Parsley, Oregano, Thyme or Mint.

Bumble Bees

Who doesn’t love a big old Bumble Bee? (perhaps a few hands raised here!) Despite many negative beliefs, they are industrious, wear stripy furry pajamas, constantly bump into things with their little sense of direction and they are, in fact, pretty harmless. Although the greenhouse is not an ideal environment for them, as it can get so hot, they do tend to make a ‘beeline’ for the greenhouses once vents or doors are open. This can be the case particularly when it is starting to get damp or chilly. They will normally find their own way out eventually, and they will have done a great job of pollinating your plants whilst bumping around.

Light Refreshments For Your Garden Guests

Please keep in mind that all these creatures will need a drink from time to time. Since they are helping your garden crops flourish, why not return the favour by providing a simple drink within your greenhouse? Ladybirds and Lacewings like a small bowl of water, with pebbles in that almost fill the bowl entirely. This will allow them to drink the water without falling in. Bumble Bees, however, like a sugar water solution, which will provide energy. This can consist of 2 or 3 parts sugar to water.

The Big Baddies

So not all crawly little creatures are our friends in the garden… How do we feel about Slugs and Snails? Well, what can we say? What is their role in our garden? Other than destroying plants and crops, they are also pretty unpleasant to look at too. However, even these slimy little fellas have a place in the grand scheme of things. They breakdown matter, which can enrich the soil and they are also a valuable source of protein for many animals. But, still not the best friend to have in your greenhouse! So the question is: How do we stop them?

Truthfully, we don’t believe that you can completely. However, you can battle with them to keep the numbers down. Here are a few methods to attempt to get rid:

Beer Traps

Just leave a couple of saucers of beer on the floor or staging overnight. They will all come out to party, get very drunk and (sorry to say it) drown in the beer. What a way for them to go! No need to spoil them though, they won’t need premium organic beer for this little party trick to work. Some cheap supermarket beer will suffice, unless you want a sneaky sip whilst filling the saucers, then we would recommend something a little tastier!

Copper

Strips of copper placed around your prized flower or vegi pots, or even along the foot of the doorframe can be a nifty little trick to lower the number of slugs ruining your crops. Slugs don’t like crossing copper, as a chemical reaction occurs between the slug slime and copper, which causes a shock to the slug. The theory here being… they won’t try it again! Not the most fool proof way, particularly if slugs are a bit slow at learning, but it is always worth a try.

Frogs

Our favourite method is the frog. We are not advocating you keep frogs permanently in your greenhouse, but if you are lucky enough to get one inside, leave him to explore the area for a while. You will be amazed at the volume of slugs he will eat in a short space of time… it’s a bit like our equivalent of an ‘all you can eat slow-moving buffet’ for them! We call our Kevin the Keder critter controller.

The no-goes

In many cases, it is worth trialing out a variation of methods to keep you critters under control in the garden. However, we have found that there are few suggested approaches that do not work in ridding those slippery Slugs and Snails: Eggshells, Coffee Grounds, Sawdust, Sand, Nutshells and lobbing them over your neighbours fence (that’s just plain naughty, and we’re sure your neighbour won’t thank you for it).

Feline Friends

If you or your neighbour has a cat who is finding your Keder Greenhouse fantastically warm and trying to sit on it, this continual resting spot may cause damage. Try planning Coleus Canina near your greenhouse. Cats apparently hate the smell, which gets stronger as it gets warmer, although humans are not able to smell it. We haven’t tried this, as we love cats roaming around our greenhouse structures, but we have been told this is a successful tactic by several garden growers!

If you have any budding gardening tips or Garden Pest Control advice, please feel free to contact us today to share your ideas.

For further information on our Keder Greenhouse Design and Installation process, please take a look at our website. Our extensive range of Domestic and Commercial Greenhouse Case Studies are on hand to provide inspiration and ideas for your own outdoor living environment.

If you would like further details, or to discuss your unique garden requirements with one of our experts, please call us on: 01386 49094, or send us an email at: sales@kedergreenhouse.co.uk.