Secrets About The Slimy Animals In Your Garden
Ever wondered why your garden is invested with slugs and snails? These slimy creatures are often difficult to control and may seem like they are the rulers of your garden. Various factors have an influence on their appearance in your garden, but here are some ways you can go about controlling the invasion of our slimy friends.
Weather’s Role
A mild winter, wet spring, and changeable summer have had a significant influence on slug and snail activity this year. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) received three times more inquiries about these pests compared to last year. Warmer weather speeds up insect life cycles, which means that pests seem more active.
Impact on Plants
Everyone, including snails, love a colorful garden and plants like delphiniums, dahlias, and lupins have been particularly affected. Even special mulches haven’t deterred these mollusks. Your vegetable seedlings and young bedding plants are also bound to be visited by the slimy animals.
Slug and Snail Behavior
Slugs and snails thrive in damp, mild conditions, this explains the increase in snail population reported by RHS during this year. Their populations increase in warm, damp weather as they reproduce more. Brief heatwaves don’t significantly affect their numbers since they find sheltered spots to hide. Read more about the discovery of a once extinct thumbnail snail.
Managing Slugs and Snails
Instead of using pellets and chemicals, rather trick snails and trap them. Organic home waste like upside-down hollowed oranges, melons, or bin lids on bare soil can help. Alternative options are beer traps and nematodes which is also effective.
Keep Gardens Tidy
A neat garden needs active green fingers, you should remove leaf litter to reduce hiding spots for pests. Think twice if you decide on new plants for your garden, choose plants carefully to avoid those that attract slugs. Although hostas, dahlias, and delphiniums are beautifully colorful, they are particularly vulnerable.
Aphid Activity
Aphid are sap-sucking insects and their development is weather-dependent. Warm weather boosts their populations, but predators like ladybirds and parasitoid wasps help control them.
Box Tree Moth
Mild winters and springs have increased box tree moth activity. These moths may produce extra generations, affecting their ability to overwinter. These moths are a new pest and different strategies are researched to control them as they were first recorded in Kent, 2007.
Egg and Larvae Resilience
Torrential rain and heatwaves have are beneficial for slugs in your garden but have minimal impact on eggs and larvae. Eggs laid in dense foliage are protected, but late frosts pose more of a threat.
Insect Survival Methods
Insects can handle short periods of extreme weather using different strategies. These strategies include entering a diapause, or a state of minimal energy use during cold spells. Did you know that caterpillars can pause their development and reactivate when temperatures rise?
Biological Controls
Biological controls can deter pests and reduce their numbers. Predators like parasitoid wasps and ladybirds are effective. These contradictory controls are used in nurseries, gardens, and greenhouses.
Choosing Plants Wisely
Some plants are prone to attract pests more than others, it is important to choose your colorful friends carefully if your garden is prone to infestations. Research which plants are less appealing to slugs and snails, and which will flourish in your garden. This is a useful measure which can help manage pest populations.
