Unwanted garden tenANTS

Some less welcome insect visitors appear in numbers in our gardens as the summer goes on.

There are more ants in the world than any other creature on the planet - most of who keep appearing in my garden!

 Ants can become a problem, especially if they build up in large numbers on lawn areas.

Ant mound

 Ant mounds can disfigure a lawn and high numbers of adults can make amenity use of a lawn difficult. The mounds are the entrance to their colonies which contain many different interchangeable roles for the ants - workers, soldiers, drones and Queens. Ant nests can go deep underground with many cavities for the colony to live in. This is why it is important to get the correct and quickest control method first time.

Some poison baits can be very persistent and leave harmful residues for other insects and wildlife, so treating effectively without damage to the local environment can be tricky. 

Some garden suppliers offer nematodes for the control of ants. Whilst I am a big fan of nematodes for the control of many insect pests, I am less convinced they are effective against ants. I think the action of the pouring water mixed with nematodes had some effect to displace the ants but does not offer much of a kill rate to the ants, which will most likely return shortly afterwards. 

A more effective solution with minimal impact on wildlife is the use of a natural pyrethrum bait or solution such as Neudorff Ant Killer Granules, which can either be sprinkled on ant trails or mixed in water and watered into ant mounds. The pyrethrum will kill the ants but does not persist in the soil to harm beneficial wildlife. 

If you prefer to use only physical means of control, repeated disturbance of ant colonies will eventually dislodge them and make them move.

Julian

21/06/16

Box Tree Caterpillars - there moth be something you can do!

The summer is here, although it is a typical British variable weather one at the moment!

However warm and wet conditions often provide ideal conditions for certain pest species. 

One insect species that can be a pest is certain types of moth. 

Recently there has been an influx of Diamond Back moths, of which the caterpillars can cause serious damage to brassica crops and plants.

Diamond Back Moth damage

Another new invader is the Box Tree Caterpillar moth, which has ended up in the south east of the U.K. , after originating from South Asia. The larvae/ caterpillars of this species can have a devastating impact on box plants and hedges. 

Box Tree Caterpillar damage

The plant leaves are shredded and box hedges look like they have serious die back, although this must not be confused with box blight, which is a different problem that box plants can experience. Box Tree Caterpillars eventually spin white webs around themselves as they pupate. This can make treating against them even more difficult. If you think you have a case of Box Tree Caterpillars , you can take part in a survey on the RHS website to monitor where they are spreading to in the UK. 

Box Tree Moth Trap

To help and monitor and control this pest, it is possible to use a Box Tree Caterpillar Moth trap. This uses a specific pheromone to attract the male box tree moths to drop into a funnel trap, where they are caught and drowned. This helps to prevent male moths mating , which in turn reduces female egg laying and hence reduce the development of the caterpillars.

 If caterpillars do appear on the box, it is possible to treat with a natural pyrethrum spray . This kills on contact but does not persist on the plant to kill other insects and is not absorbed by the plant. Natural pyrethrum is made from chryanth flowers and is a recognised organic insecticide. One such product is Pyrol bug and larvae killer available on the Dragonfli website along with the new Box Tree Caterpillar moth trap.

Lets keep these pests under control.

Julian

20/06/16