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Gardening

Bugs

(35 Posts)
dogsmother Sat 10-May-25 13:06:41

Or not bugs. Something eats my plants. I grow spinach in a tub that was going great initially now chomped away. Also various flowers in tubs that are also being chewed.
I try using crushed egg shells and I spray a liquid detergent mix
but still everything is apparently under attack.
Any ideas anyone?

Milest0ne Mon 12-May-25 15:49:49

Holes in leaves can be caused by vine weevils . Go out at dusk and pick them off. They seem to like our rhodys. The deer like our camelias, (The same family of plants as tea) It does seem to stress them out and they don't flower for several years after that. We have no purple broccoli left so I have come to the conclusion that it is snails rather than slugs eating them.

SillyNanny321 Mon 12-May-25 15:54:10

Have a flock of pigeons that my neighbour & I seem to have inherited from an owner who doesnt bother with them. Have not seen them eating any of our bushes so far! Maybe because there are too many other smaller birds living in the bushes? All seem to get on ok & the beautiful very noisy Starling babies have been in the gardens lately & again all getting on. Has anyone else seen baby Starlings bathing in their drinking water? So funny as it started with one adult. Bringing their kids up right aren't they? Love all my resident birds & the ones that just visit like the Jackdaw earlier!

JaneJudge Mon 12-May-25 16:08:03

We used sturch to control the slugs, it’s an alternative to bark

JaneJudge Mon 12-May-25 16:10:41

www.fargrohomeandgarden.co.uk/plant-and-lawn-care/mulch/straw-mulch/strulch-organic-straw-mulch-9kg-bag-frost-protection-wheat-straw-garden-mulch-100l?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=22317107201&utm_content=&utm_term=&gadid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22317112703&gbraid=0AAAAADwXWv-tAMkwUVA3rzgZlu9jVFYDp&gclid=CjwKCAjwuIbBBhBvEiwAsNypvZhVxbjF23bQZr3W5rHmwzSYoCnEriCp0EM-YNrkJK5hp47Sn1KEWxoChB0QAvD_BwE

melp1 Tue 13-May-25 09:35:31

I use the slug traps, put some beer in the bottom empty every couple of days its surprising how many want to drown in beer

Ziplok Tue 13-May-25 17:40:31

As an aside, does anyone know if there are predators for the horrible grey/green large aphids that just love my lupins? The birds seems to ignore them, as do the ladybirds and their larvae.
I second the beer traps for slugs. They do seem attracted to it.

J52 Tue 13-May-25 18:11:18

Greyduster

Pigeons have decimated my plum tree year after year and this year I hung old CD’s in the branches in an effort to deter them (Cliff Richard - that should do the trick!) because there are a large number of plums setting and I’d rather like to have some! It seems to be working.
Some pests you have to resort to searching out and picking off by hand - like the grubs that were hatching in the growing points of my delphiniums.

I read that a toy snake in the branches frightens the pigeons away. Not suggesting any similarity between CR and snakes!

J52 Tue 13-May-25 18:14:45

Aphids on Lupins can be treated with soapy water, but I did read that companion planting with strong smelling herbs deters to aphids.
My Lupins are in planters to avoid the slugs, I might move the mint closer to them and see what happens.

MayBee70 Tue 13-May-25 22:04:08

Just a warning that the mozzies are out. I only spent a short time in the garden and am covered in red lumps. And I only bought some new Jungle Formula the other week but didn’t bother to put it on.